


THE ROAD SO FAR

by Shugs



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Apocalypse, Character Death, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-16 22:51:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 57,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4642974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shugs/pseuds/Shugs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty years down the road, Dean is part of a dying breed, a keen hunter who's lived through it all. But that's now and it's miles away from that fateful night when a simple hunt with his brother goes horribly wrong. Attacked by a group of hunters out to kill the ones responsible for the looming Apocalypse, surviving the encounter was just the beginning for Dean.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The road so far... THEN

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this one start to finish before season five even started, needless to say I was THRILLED when "Dark Side of the Moon" (5x16) aired with a similar scenario to kick off the episode!
> 
> So keep that in mind because this story takes place shortly after season 4 ended

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Dean asked as they pulled up to the abandoned mill. They were miles away from the small town they had started off in, at the very end of a winding dirt road deep in the woods. He put the Impala in park and leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at the old building in front of them. The only source of light was the full moon high above, casting the mill's eerie shadow on the cold ground in front of them.

Sam turned his flashlight on to study the map that was open in his lap. "Yes Dean, this is it." He replied simply.

"Those folks at the bar didn't have a clue what I was talking about." Dean started, glancing over as Sam folded the map and tossed it up onto the dashboard.

"Most people don't, Dean." Sam replied, offering a smile.

"No I'm serious." The older man replied. "None of them said anything about this place being haunted... I heard that it was doomed from the start, but not haunted. The only history I could find, was that it closed in '59 after the lumber industry took a blow... It was about the same time that this town; if you want to call it that, died."

"Dean, this is it." Sam replied, grabbing his EMF meter from the glove box. "The Branson Mill closed down in 1959 after a dozen workers died in separate freak accidents. After that, they couldn't keep the place running because no one wanted to work the night shift, everyone complained about the spirits that were wandering around and..."

"Where did you get this info?" Dean cut in, pulling the keys from the ignition as he once again studied the old building in front of them.

"One of Dad's old contacts." Sam replied, his frustration starting to surface as he explained, and re-explained the hunt to his brother. "The guy didn't have time to check the place out and said that it's most active on the anniversary of the deaths, which happens to be tonight." He said as he got out of the Impala, a cold October wind greeting him.

"I don't know about this one Sammy." Dean started, stepping out of the car and shutting the door. A chilling wind rustled the dead leaves on the ground at his feet as he stood by the Impala, looking up at the abandoned mill in front of him. "There's no gates, no locks, no history about it around town..."

Sam let out a sigh. "Dean, we've gone on hunts with a lot less info. You're the one that wanted to keep hunting until we found a way to catch up to Lucifer, so I found us a job."

"I just got a bad feeling about it." Dean continued, making his way to the trunk to grab his shotgun and flashlight. He glanced out towards the woods as he slipped his key into the lock, thinking he had heard something among the brush. When he popped the trunk open, he turned his attention back to his brother. "No one in town said anything about the place being haunted..."

"I heard you the first time, Dean." Sam started, pausing for a moment to catch his brother's eyes. "But considering we have Lucifer roaming free, judgment day on our doorstep and angels trying to recruit you for their own purpose... Checking out a few ghosts should be a walk in the park, right?" Sam continued, turning his EMF reader on as the pair started to make their way towards the old mill.

"Yeah, I guess." Dean replied simply, his eyes focussing on the massive structure looming in the darkness, gaping holes where windows used to be and piles of fallen brick scattered around. "Don't you find it a little odd that we haven't seen a demon or angel since Lucifer got out?"

"Maybe they have bigger things to deal with right now than worrying about you." Sam replied, eying the meter in his hand. "When they want you, they're going to come find you..."

"Yeah thanks, Sammy." Dean replied, taking one last look towards the road and his car as he pulled a loose board away from the front entrance to let his brother slip in. "I'm just so use to watching my back these days, that not having them around freaks me out a little." He continued as he followed the other man inside.

The past few weeks had been hard for both of them. The guilt that trailed Sam; for the role he unknowably played in the beginning of the end was as strong as the one that trailed Dean, for the sacrifice Castiel had made, in an attempt to help him. While Sam was only now starting to get over his addiction, Dean was just starting to forgive him for what he had done. Though the road ahead, was sure to be long and rough, both were determined to rebuild what had been lost between them. Doing their best to avoid the angels that had led them astray, the hunt for Lucifer was on. Unlike the angels though, the brothers intended to find a way to stop Lucifer before he brought on the Apocalypse, not after. Without a lead to follow or even a trail, trying to find Lucifer was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Without Castiel to move them along, the brothers didn't know where to start or why the angels and demons had vanished altogether.

Carefully stepping over debris and machinery that littered the floor, the pair made their way into the main room, pausing for a moment to study it the best they could in their limited light. Piles of lumber lined one wall as chains and saw blades hung on another nearby. Off to one side, a small furnace room and a boiler room, to the other, a set of table saws and band saws. With the flashlight, Dean followed a staircase up to a balcony on the second floor, a switch room perhaps to control the main power on the work floor. He took a glance at the man by his side. "Picking anything up?" He asked, eying the EMF reader in his brother's hand.

Sam shook his head. "No... You'd think that with twelve ghosts wandering around, this place would be jumping." He replied, using his own flashlight to light his way. "I'm just going to walk around, see if I pick up anything somewhere else." He informed.

"Don't go too far..." Dean called out, watching as Sam made his way towards a door at the end of the large work area. When his brother disappeared from sight, Dean turned his attention to the large room he was standing in. Following the chains up the wall with his flashlight, he illuminated a set of pulleys and tracks, most likely used to move the logs around the mill. He paused in his steps as the howling wind rushed by him through the broken windows, picking up sawdust from the floor and spreading it around the room. Turning on the spot, his eyes focused on a small room nearby, the sound of a creaking door catching his attention. When his cell phone suddenly rang, he couldn't help but jump, swearing under his breath as he tucked his gun under one arm and fished his phone out of his coat pocket with the other. Seeing Bobby's name on the display, he quickly flipped it open. "You scared the shit out of me Bobby, what's up?" He asked, taking a glance around with his flashlight as he heard Sam's footsteps in the room nearby.

_"Where are you Dean?"_ Bobby asked, getting right to the point.

"At the old haunted mill Sam was telling you about." Dean started, turning on the spot as the sound of rattling chains in the wind caught his attention. "Just outside of Scythe."

_"Dean, you and Sam need to get out of there NOW."_ Bobby replied, his voice just shy of a panic.

"Why?" Dean asked, oblivious to the urgency in Bobby's voice as he eyed the dark doorway his brother had disappeared into.

_"Because the hunt is fake, it's a trap."_ Bobby quickly replied. _"A group of hunters have been trailing you for over a week..."_

"WHAT?" Dean asked, unable to believe what he had just heard as Bobby's voice echoed in his head.

_"Dean, they made up that ghost story to lure you and your brother out to the mill. You need to get out of there right now."_


	2. When at the barrel of a gun

Dean's heart jumped to his throat, a shiver crawling down his spine as Bobby's words cut right through him. "Bobby, why are other hunters after us?" He asked, sucking in a breath as the sound of the creaking door once again caught his attention.

_"Because your brother let the damn Devil stroll out of Hell..."_ Bobby barked, pointing out what was quite obvious to him. _"He has demon blood in him, Dean! You and I both know it was only a matter of time before other hunters caught on to what he's been doing..."_

"We've got much bigger things to deal with right now, than Sam's demon blood." Dean started, trying to keep his voice from bouncing off the walls around him as he studied his dark surroundings with a cautious eye. "The damn angels knew what needed to be done to stop Lucifer from rising and they let it happen, they wanted us to face judgem..."

_"Dean."_ Bobby interrupted, cutting the other man short. _"Other hunters don't know what we know... they don't know the angels and demons wanted the same thing to happen. What they do know, is that Sam's the one who broke the last seal... You two need to get out of there, NOW."_

"Thanks for the heads up." Dean quickly replied, flipping his cell phone shut and shoving it into his pocket as he took another glance at the room around him. He swore under his breath as he grabbed his shotgun, instantly realizing that rock salt would do him no good.

"I'm not picking anything up Dean, not even a glitch." Sam started, eyeing the EMF meter in his hand as he made his way back towards his older brother. "It's almost..."

"That's cause the place isn't haunted." Dean cut in, reaching out to grab his brother by the shirt. "C'mon we need to get out of here."

"Dean what's wrong?" Sam was quick to ask, taking a step forward as his older brother dragged him along.

"The hunt's a trap." Dean replied, taking a nervous look around before focusing on the boarded up doorway they had come in through. "Other hunters set us up, they lured us out here so that they could ki..." Dean trailed off as the sound of a gunshot echoed in the abandoned mill, shattering the silence of night as a bullet ripped through the back of his left shoulder. He swore under his breath as the shotgun dropped from his hands and his flashlight hit the ground. "Son of a bitch!" He hollered, his voice resonating in the room as he turned around, his eyes locking on the silhouette of a man standing at the top of the stairs on the second floor. He put a hand to his chest and swore to himself again as he drew in a ragged breath, the slug hadn't gone right through.

Sam instantly turned to his brother, trying to see where the other man had been hit. Pushing Deans' hands aside, his eyes fell on the dark spot behind the other man's shoulder, blood starting to soak through his shirt and jacket. "Just take it easy." He said, pressing a hand against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

When the sound of a shotgun being loaded caught their attention, both turned slightly to face a man that had stepped out of the darkness. Blocking their only exit from the rundown mill, two more men joined the first, guns in hand. They might have been outnumbered but with Dean injured and nothing more than a shotgun loaded with rock salt between them, they didn't even stand a chance. "Who the hell are you?" Sam started, eyeing the man that was slowly approaching as he put himself between his older brother and the stranger.

"I'm the one with the gun." The man chuckled, his laugh echoing eerily in the mill.

"Ok, what do you want?" Sam continued.

"Bragging rights." The hunter replied, shouldering his shotgun.

"For what?" Sam asked, his stern tone of voice doing little to hide his fear as he took a step back, forcing Dean to do the same.

"Killing the one that freed Lucifer from Hell." The hunter replied with a soft chuckle. "Haven't you heard? You've been declared fair game, this demon blood of yours put you on the map like you would not believe..."

Dean clutched his shoulder in pain, feeling the blood seeping through his fingers and running down his back. He swallowed hard as he eyed the barrel of the gun only a few feet away from them. "Leave him alone." He growled. "You guys don't know half of what's going on here... we have a lot worse to worry about than the damn demon blood."

"Dean Winchester..." The hunter started, smiling slightly as he took another step forward. "Pulled from Hell by angels to save the world from the Apocalypse." The hunter paused for a moment as he caught Dean's eyes over his younger brother's shoulder. "I did my research don't you worry about that." He paused again as he watched Dean's eyes drift over to the men at his sides. "Here's a news flash for ya kid, you can't stop the Apocalypse..."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Dean interrupted, silencing the hunter in front of him as he stepped up to join his brother. "If you knew what we knew, you wouldn't be here to hunt us down... you'd be here to help us."

"We can't win this war." The hunter replied, his confidence bittersweet. "So I'm going to do mankind one last favor and kill the ones that got it started. Other hunters out there, are considering this a consolation prize."

"Leave us alone." Sam cut in, swallowing hard as he felt the muzzle of a gun dig into his back. He glanced over as Dean took a sudden step forward, his older brother stumbling as a second man with a gun pushed him along, separating them. "This isn't something you want to do."

"Oh trust me, it is..." The hunter snarled as he gave Sam a sinister smile. "You just hang tight, I'll be right with you." When he turned his attention from one brother to the other, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "So Dean, where is your angel sidekick?" The hunter started, pressing the muzzle of his shotgun into the other man's chest as his buddy turned his gun on Sam. "I'm curious, never seen an angel before and it was my understanding that you had one following you around..."

"I use to." Dean cut in, his eyes narrowing on the man in front of him as his thoughts drifted back to the last time he'd seen Castiel. "I haven't heard from him in weeks... I haven't heard from any of them in weeks."

"Put your hands on the back of your head." The man demanded. Dean winced in pain as he did what he was told, holding the position was beyond excruciating. When he caught Sam's eyes, he knew the situation they were in was dire and it was more than obvious by the look on his face, that his younger brother did as well. "Now, take one last look at..."

"Please, you came here looking for me... leave him alone." Sam interrupted, getting the hunter's attention away from his older brother. "Just take me and let him go." He took a step forward but froze as all guns but one turned towards him.

"You wait your turn." The hunter snarled as his eyes narrowed on the younger of the two. "You're in this together, you're going to die together."

Sam caught his brother's eyes one last time before he watched them slowly close, his face was painted in pain and despair and a tear was slowly starting to roll down his cheek. When the hunter loaded the shotgun he had pressed into Dean's chest, Sam knew he had to do something, fast. Dean couldn't pay the price for his mistake, the fate of mankind was counting on him.

When Sam put a hand out towards him, Dean felt as if he'd just been punched in the chest. He was gasping for breath when his brother simply flicked a wrist to the left, sending him sailing across the floor and into the small boiler room nearby. He hit the wall hard and fell to the ground as the large door swung shut and locked, leaving him in total darkness. Unsure of what had just happened, he picked himself up off the floor, putting a hand to his chest as he tried to catch his breath. Stumbling through the dark he made his way to the door, feeling around until his hand grasped the cold door knob.

He could hear his brother arguing with the hunters and swore to himself when he couldn't get the door to open. "Sammy!?" He called out, pounding his fist against the door as he desperately tried to get it open. His heart jumped to his throat when the sound of gunshots suddenly filled the air, there was no doubt in his mind of what was happening on the other side. "SAMMY!" He shouted, ignoring the searing pain as he threw a shoulder against the door in a vain attempt to get it open. The thoughts that were rushing through his head made him sick to his stomach. The images of his brother at the wrong end of the gun, were so sharp that he was starting to feel nauseous. "SAMMY!" He cried out, his coarse voice muffled by the pain of each breath.

When a shotgun blast came right through the door he was pounding on, everything instantly faded to black.


	3. You're living forever but I'm dying so slow

Chuck awoke with a start, a scream caught in his throat as the sound of a shotgun blast echoed in the back of his mind. His heart was racing as he clung onto his sweat drenched bed sheets and took a glance at the dark room around him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, trying to reassure himself that he was safe in his home, but knowing deep down inside, that that was a lie. He threw the sheets aside and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, eyeing the clock on his dresser as he got to his feet. It was just about three in the morning. He swore under his breath as he stumbled over the clutter that littered his bedroom floor and quickly made his way over to the kitchen, opening the fridge as he reached it to grab yet another bottle of beer.

He shook his head as he opened the bottle and started chugging its contents, the sound of the shotgun blast still fresh in his mind. It had been weeks since Castiel and Dean had showed up unexpectedly in his living room. Though aware of the angel's fate, Dean and Sam's was still a mystery... until tonight. His first glimpse into the future, into the beginning or the end, wasn't promising at all. Lucifer Rising was the last thing he'd written and prophet or not, he couldn't bring himself to write down another word of what was yet to come. When the sound of crunching glass caught his attention, he turned on the spot, his eyes catching those of something he hadn't seen since the fateful night that had changed everything, an angel.

"You redecorating, or what?" Zachariah asked as he eyed the disaster of a room in front of him.

Chuck eyed the mess that was his kitchen and gave the angel a shrug. "Yeah, I guess..." He started, taking another gulp of his beer. "That archangel sure knows how to make an entrance... I was going to clean up but you know, what's the point?"

Zachariah cracked a smile as he crossed his arms. "I know you saw it happen..." He started, taking a step towards the other man. "Just because you stopped writing it down, doesn't mean it's not going to happen."

Chuck downed the rest of his beer, tossing the bottle to a pile in the corner before turning his attention back to the angel in front of him. "I know that..." He started, giving the angel a crooked smile. "But I realized something the night Castiel and Dean tried to stop you..."

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" Zachariah asked, watching as Chuck passed a hand through his messy hair.

"Well, when Castiel and Dean showed up that night, they rewrote the story..." He started, eyeing the angel standing only a few feet away. "...Almost screwed up your plans in the process."

"They're not my plans, they're..."

"God's?" Chuck interrupted, giving a nervous nod. "Yeah, sure, right..." He quickly replied. "Well I realized that you don't get the same info I do and if I don't write it down, you don't get all the details."

Zachariah shook his head, letting out a sigh as he stepped over the debris that covered the floor. "So now you think you've got it all figured out?"

"Yeah actually, I do." Chuck replied, taking a step back. "You're here because you can't find Dean... In fact, you haven't been able to find him since Castiel pulled him from your waiting room." He paused for a moment as he watched the angel's eyes narrow into a menacing stare. "You saw it happen too, but you don't where..."

"So enlighten me." Zachariah growled, his tone of voice silencing the other man.

Chuck shook his head, swallowing hard as the angel came to a stop only inches away from him. "I'm not telling you a thing... Not after what you did to them."

"Well then, why don't you and I go for a little trip." Zachariah hissed, reaching out to put a hand on the other man's shoulder.

* * *

Bobby swore under his breath as he started to pace. If only he would have heard about it sooner, he would have been able to stop Sam and Dean from going out to the mill. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table nearby and took a sip, swallowing the fiery liquid in gulps as he tried to calm his racing heart and drown his macabre thoughts. With the Apocalypse on the way, the last things his boys needed to worry about was other hunters not understanding the situation they were in. The demons and angels were gone, nowhere to be seen since Lucifer had walked out of Hell. Why they had all but disappeared was beyond him, but at the very moment, it truly was the last thing on his mind. What if he had been too late? What if those hunters were waiting for the Winchesters at the mill? Hiding in wait as the brothers went in to take care of their staged haunting.

The bottle of Whiskey dropped from his hands as he turned around and came face to face with a pair of angels that had suddenly appeared in his living room; with them was Chuck. "What in God's name are you two doing here?" He growled studying the angels and their reluctant hostage.

Zachariah offered a smile as he took a step forward. "Yes, indeed, what in God's name..." He started, eyeing the bottle of whisky on the floor between them. "You know Bobby, it's been a few weeks now since Lucifer got a get out of jail free card... and your boys haven't been seen since." He paused for a moment as he watched the hunter's eyes drift over to the man at his side.

"Where the Hell are your pants!?" Bobby asked, ignoring the angel as he pointed to Chuck who was wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts and a light T-shirt.

"It's like, three in the morning..." Chuck started, passing a hand over his face. "I was more or less dragged here, against my will."

"Why?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because he wont tell me where your boys are hiding." Zachariah replied, his tone of voice pulling the hunter's attention away from the prophet.

"And you think I will?" Bobby asked as he shook his head. "I thought you angels were supposed to know everything." He replied coyly.

"Well see, here's the problem..." Zachariah started, putting his hands into his pockets. "I'm starting to think some of the angels have been hiding them."

"Oh yeah? And why would they be doing that?" Bobby asked, crossing his arms in front of him. "I thought you sons of a bitches were all on the same team, you know, destroying all living things together."

Zachariah let out a sigh. "I thought so too." He started, taking a casual step forward. "But I guess I was wrong." He paused for only a moment as he caught the eyes of the man standing in front of him. "It seems that Dean either tricked, or convinced Castiel to go against his orders and I'm starting to think some of the angels have followed his lead."

"What can I say, the boy's always been very persuasive." Bobby replied with a slight grin.

"And a bit crazy..." Chuck added. "Dedicated and passionate, but crazy." He swore under his breath as the angel at his side tightened the grip on his arm.

"If all it took to turn one of your angels into a full out renegade, was one man's opinion... You should be a little more worried about your soldiers than finding Dean." Bobby growled.

"I'm not worried about my soldiers." Zachariah hissed. "They'll be dealt with accordingly. Right now, I need Dean at my side, so he can be ready for his big moment."

"And what is that again?" Bobby asked.

"Why it's sending Lucifer back where he belongs." Zachariah replied, turning slightly to put a hand towards Chuck, silencing the other man before he could say a word.

"Which is after the Apocalypse and the end of the world, not before, right?" Bobby replied, watching as the angel turned to face him.

"Smart man." Zachariah continued. "When the earth is wiped clean, Dean will put an end to the Apocalypse and cast Lucifer and his demons back to Hell."

"And what makes you think, he'll go for all that without putting up a fight?" Bobby asked drily.

"The house always wins..." Zachariah replied, his cryptic smile only angering the veteran hunter in front of him.

"Well, I don't know where he is." Bobby growled, hoping his lie would buy them a bit more time. "And if your angels are willing to risk their lives and their status hiding him from you, you should think twice about what you're doing because it's obvious they don't all agree with you."

"It's not about agreeing with me." Zachariah replied. "They're angels, and they have orders to follow, it's as simple as that. I'm just a messenger."

"Yeah, a poor one at that." Chuck muttered under his breath.

"You think this is funny?" The angel hissed with malice as he turned his attention away from Bobby and made his way over to the man they had dragged along.

"A little bit, yeah." Chuck replied, swallowing hard. " I mean, you brought all of this on, you let it happen and now you can't find your one and only weapon..."

"Your disrespect, is starting to aggravate me." Zachariah growled, silencing the other man as he wrapped a hand around his throat. "Now tell me, where Dean is."

* * *

When Dean woke up, he was no longer lying on the cold concrete floor, locked in the boiler room. Instead, he found himself curled up across the back seat of the Impala, his leather jacket neatly tucked under his head and a coat draped over him as his car roared down the road. He swore to himself as he put a hand to his chest, a deep breath sending pain in all direction. Between the gunshot wound in his shoulder, the one in his chest and the headache, he was having a hard time breathing, let alone keeping his focus.

"Sammy, where are we going?" He asked quietly, closing his eyes for a moment as the world around him started to spin. What he could remember, was his brother tossing him aside without effort or touch, just like a demon. Locked in the small room, he heard the gunshots on the other side, the last one coming right through the door he was pounding on. What he couldn't remember, was getting out of the locked room and making his way back to the car. The fact that he was lying across the back seat, instead of sitting behind the wheel, made it obvious that he hadn't left the mill on his own two feet.

"There's a bullet in your shoulder and a dozen or so pieces in your chest, we're going to the Hosptial..."

The voice that pulled Dean away from his scattered thoughts made his breath catch in the back of his throat; Sam wasn't the one behind the wheel of his car, Castiel was. Pushing the angel's overcoat aside and ignoring the pain of the movement, he pulled himself into a sitting position. "Cass, where's Sam?" He asked, swallowing hard.


	4. There's darkness around me, or is it within me?

"Where is he?" Zachariah demanded, his grip around Chuck's throat tightening when the other man refused to give him an answer. "Where's Dean." He growled, his eyes narrowing on the man in front of him as he shoved him hard against the wall. When Chuck still refused to give him an answer, the angel couldn't help but let the grin creep up from the corner of his lips. "You've written about me before, right?" He asked, his voice taking an almost sinister tone. "You know what sort of fun stuff I can do to you... So you can make this easy, or you can make it hard and really really painful. It's your call but I'm sure your friend Bobby would..."

"He's at a mill." Chuck choked, trying in vain to pry the angel's hand away from his throat. "The Branson Mill just outside of a little town called Scythe... It's about two hours East of here down RR5." He blurted.

Zachariah offered a smile as he released his tight grip. "There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He asked, watching as the prophet hunched over to try and catch his breath.

"Knowing won't help." Chuck continued between gasps. "You're too late, it's already happened."

"Well I'm going to have a look around for myself." The angel replied as he watched Bobby make his way to Chuck's side. "The two of you are going to just sit tight until I get back and we'll decide what else needs to be done then." With that said, Zachariah gave his accomplices a nod and they vanished, leaving Chuck and Bobby alone in fear.

* * *

Dean watched as the angel behind the wheel of his car adjusted the rearview mirror to catch his eyes. It was the first he'd seen of Castiel since the angel had disobeyed his orders weeks ago, since the night Lucifer walked free. Though surprised and relieved to see that Castiel had survived his encounter with an archangel, his thoughts were instinctively on the whereabouts of his little brother. "Cass, where's Sam?" He asked again, his voice raw with emotion as he thought about the hunters that had lured them out to the mill and about the loaded shotgun that had been pressed into his chest.

Castiel's grip on the wheel tightened slightly as he turned his attention from Dean's desperate eyes to the dark road ahead. There was no easy way to break the news he knew would tear the other man apart. "Sam didn't make it..." He quietly started, his words blunt and void of any real emotion. "Those hunters killed your brother before I got there."

"What?" Dean replied, his heart sinking like a stone with the weight of those words.

"Sam didn't make it." Castiel repeated. "I'm sorry, Dean."

Castiel's words circled in his head as he let himself fall back into the leather seat, swearing under his breath as he grabbed his shoulder in pain. Though he had heard the gunshots echo in the old mill, he couldn't bring himself to believe that his brother had died at the hands of hunters, like himself. He took a shallow breath, doing his best to bare the pain as he closed his eyes for only a moment. Frustration, anger, guilt and despair were only a few words to describe the storm of emotion that was raging deep inside. "I'm going to kill those sons of bitches." He growled. "I'm going to kill them for what they did to Sam."

"They're hunters, they were doing what they thought was right, Dean." Castiel reasoned, knowing his words were falling on deaf ears.

"The Hell they were." Dean was quick to reply. "They hunted us down, tracked us like we were..."

"What they saw in Sam wasn't human..." Castiel interrupted, instantly silencing the other man. "As far as they know, you're both dead and I think we should keep it that way, for your own safety."

"Cas, I haven't seen or heard from you in over a month..." Dean started, his low voice barely above a whisper. "Why show up all of a sudden when you can't do anything to help us."

"Those hunters lit the place up and left you for dead." Castiel calmly replied. "I pulled you out of there, didn't I?"

"Yeah, some angel you are..." A grief stricken Dean continued, emotion clouding his judgment. "You should have just left me there..." He whispered, choking on his words. "Why didn't you save Sam? Why didn't you stop those hunters from tracking us down and executing him like some..." Dean silenced as Castiel slammed on the brakes, forcing the Impala to skid to a sudden stop in the middle of the road. He crashed into the back of the seat in front of him and swore under his breath as the pain throbbing throughout his body pushed him to very edge of consciousness. When he managed to pull himself back into a sitting position, he caught the eyes of the angel behind the wheel of his car. The only sound between them was that of the idling engine and he knew right away that what he had just said, had crossed the line.. "Cas, I didn't..."

"I'm not a guardian, Dean." Castiel cut in, his dry tone of voice silencing the other man. "I am warrior, or at least I used to be before I had my wings clipped by an archangel, for helping you." He paused for a moment as he turned slightly to face the man sitting in the seat behind him. "I'm on the lam, doing everything I can to keep Zachariah and the angels off both your back and mine... Show me some respect, or you can deal with the mess you made, by yourself."

"Cas, I'm sorry." Dean sighed, letting himself sink back into his seat. "You know I didn't mean it."

"Then don't say it." Castiel growled. There was a moment of silence and the angel couldn't help but bite his tongue, Dean's words couldn't be taken to heart. "I know you're upset about your brother's death, but you should watch what you say." He started, turning back in his seat as he moved his foot from the brake pedal over to the gas. "I was literally dragged back to Heaven for trying to warn you and I lost everything... for trying to help you."

"I know." Dean replied quietly, grabbing the angel's overcoat and pulling it back over himself in an attempt to keep warm. He was shaking inside and out and though heavy on his mind, what had happened to his brother tonight, seemed to be the least of their worries. "For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice..."

The young hunter's voice echoed in his head as he pulled off the dirt road onto the deserted interstate. He could almost feel the other man's pain; the agony, the sorrow and the despair was overwhelming enough when it was second hand, he couldn't imagine the intensity of it all to Dean. He swallowed hard as he tried to find his words, or anyone else's for that matter, that could put the man behind him at ease. "Sam understood your importance and he saved your life so you could go on and save mankind..." He finally started, his voice softening as he pushed his own worries aside for the time being. "You should be grateful for the sacrifice he made."

"How am I supposed to save us all when I can't even save myself?" Dean asked, putting a hand to his forehead as he tried to stop his world from spinning. "I haven't seen any for a while but as far as I know, I have demons on my ass and angels trying to manipulate me like a damn puppet on strings... How am I supposed to stop Lucifer and the Apocalypse?"

"I'm not going to lie to you." Castiel replied, pausing for a moment as he glanced over to the man lying across the back seat. Dean had already lost a lot of blood and they were still miles away from the nearest hospital. If it hadn't been for his encounter with the archangel, he could have easily healed the other man's wounds or at least have transported him to the hospital instead of driving there. Though he could still get around by himself, taking someone else with him was out of the question. "I don't know, but if I was able to keep the angels off your trail, I should be able to keep the demons at bay until we think of something." He replied, pushing the gas pedal down in an attempt to cover more ground in less time, time he knew Dean didn't couldn't spare.

"Hey Cas?" Dean started, his voice barely audible over the sound of the roaring engine. "That night you pulled me out of Zachariah's waiting room, why didn't the archangel kill you? I thought for sure you were a dead man..."

There was a moment of silence as the angel behind the wheel thought of the night he had disobeyed his orders, the night he thought would be the end of him. "I'm not sure, Dean." He replied quietly. "The angels, are starting to question their orders and their purpose, they don't think we're doing God's work anymore. The archangel didn't consider what I did as disobedience... I got off easy." When the man in the back seat let out a groan, Castiel once again looked up into the rearview mirror. "Dean? Are you alright?" He asked, waiting for some kind of reply as he watched the young man fight to keep his eyes open. "Dean?"

"Yeah, I'm Ok..." Dean replied, trying to keep himself together. "Hey Cas, where did Sam go?" He asked quietly, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "When he died..."

Castiel's grip on the wheel tightened as he took a deep breath. Dean was in no condition or state of mind for the answer to the question he had just asked. He hesitated for a moment but knew that the other man wouldn't accept his silence, even if it was for his own good. "He's in Hell."

Dean swore to himself as he passed a hand over his face. He should have trusted his gut when they first pulled up to that mill, he should have followed his instinct when he noticed none of the locals knew anything about the haunting. He'd slipped up and it had cost Sam his life, nothing he could ever do would change that fact. His heart hit the bottom of his stomach all over again when his mind raced back to the time he'd spent in Hell, he swallowed hard. "Why is he in the pit?" He asked, sure he had the answer but needing to hear it from the angel who'd pulled him from Hell. "Is it because of the demon blood, because of what he did for Lucifer?"

"Part of it is..." Castiel started, pausing for a moment as the other man swore under his breath. "They're not doing to him what they did to you." He continued, knowing what was going through Dean's head. "You made a deal, and you were dragged to Hell to pay the price... Sam simply died and when he is willing to forgive himself for what he's done, he will no longer be walking among the damned."

Dean sucked in a painful breath and swore to himself, clutching the back of his left shoulder as the world in front of him once again started to spin. Though he could hear Castiel talking to him, the words no longer seemed to make any sense. They were just sounds, a constant string of sounds that disappeared in the blink of an eye, along with everything else as the pain consumed him.


	5. There's a fear in me and it's not showing

Chuck swore under his breath as he put a hand to his throat and started to pace. He could still feel the angel's tight grip and he could still hear the shotgun blast echoing inside his head. Though the angels had left with the information they had come for, he knew they would be back and he knew that they would be angry.

"Would you just sit down." Bobby barked, watching as the man in front of him came to a stop. "You're making me dizzy." Locked in his home under some sort of house arrest, the hunter and prophet couldn't help but wonder what the angels had planned for them. Chuck caught his eyes for a moment and reluctantly took a seat on the sofa. "No, not there." Bobby grumbled, pointing the other man to a chair nearby.

"What's the difference?" Chuck asked, passing a hand through his messy hair as he got back to his feet.

"It's my house and I don't want some guy in his shorts sitting on my couch." Bobby continued, letting out a sigh as he watched the younger man pull up a chair at the table in the middle of his living room. There was a moment of silence and before he could ask, Chuck answered.

"Dean's injured and Sam didn't make it." Chuck blurted his eyes catching those of the veteran hunter sitting across from him. "I'm sorry..." There was another moment of silence as he took a deep breath. "Before those hunters killed him, Sam used his um, physic demon stuff and pushed Dean out of harm's way."

"So you did see it happen..." Bobby asked, his heart skipping a beat as the Winchester's fate hit him like a ton of bricks. Though he had never had children of his own, Sam and Dean were like sons to him, they were the closest to family that he would ever know.

"Yeah I saw it happen, unfortunately." Chuck replied somberly. "I see bits and pieces and it might as well be in real time now."

"OK, so where is Dean now?" Bobby asked, almost afraid to hear the answer when he knew Zachariah was gone to Dean's last known location.

Chuck shook his head, his eyes barely lifting from his hands crossed on the table in front of him. "I don't know." He replied simply, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "But he's not at the mill... Castiel pulled him out of there."

"Wait, what?" Bobby cut in, straightening in his seat. "I thought Castiel was..."

"Dead?" Chuck interrupted, instantly silencing the other man. "No, he's not dead... though he might as well be now with all the angels he's got on his back." Chuck replied, pausing for a moment as he took a nervous look around the room. "Listen, I don't want to say too much about it because I don't know who's listening anymore... But if I don't write it down, Zachariah can't plan his next move, nothing is for sure unless I write it down."

"What's your point." Bobby started, his stern voice forcing the younger man to catch his eyes. "If you don't write it down, it's still going to happen, right? "

"Yeah but..."

"Nothing's happened for weeks..." Bobby cut in. "I haven't seen an angel or demon since that night Lucifer rose."

"The demons have taken cover and the angels are preparing an army, they're on standby." Chuck replied, trying to make the older man understand the bleak situation they were in. "What's going on right now; the lull, this dead time... It's the calm before the storm, the last moments before the angels strike."

"Why are you so worried about the angels?" Bobby asked, eyeing the prophet in front of him as he tried to shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. "Shouldn't we be a bit more concerned about the Devil roaming the earth?"

"Why am I so worried about the angels?" Chuck asked, taking another nervous glance around the room before he leaned across the table to keep his voice low. "Because it's not the Devil or the demons you should worry about." He whispered. "When Zachariah gets his hands on Dean; the one who broke the very first seal, the Apocalypse will start, the world will end."

"I thought Lucifer was the one that was going to wipe us off the face of the earth..." Bobby started, trying to make sense of it all. "I thought the angels were just going to let it happen?" When Chuck shook his head, everything he thought he knew, fell apart right before his eyes.

"Lucifer was just another seal." Chuck replied. "He needed to rise for the angels to take the earth, and once they have what they want, they'll get rid of him too... they just need Dean to get it done." Bobby's distressed expression was almost begging to hear more but there was nothing else to say about what was yet to come. Chuck shook his head as he passed a hand through his hair. "We shouldn't talk about this right now... that's all I know anyway, I swear." He added, letting out a sigh as he glanced at the clock on the wall.

Bobby gave him a nod, knowing it was only a matter of time before the angels would be back in his home. "Well, nothing we can do about it right now..." He started as he got up from his seat. "Seeing as we're locked in till those flying bastards come back, might as well get some shut eye, you look like you haven't slept in days." Chuck straightened in his chair as he watched the hunter wander over to a small room off the living room. Bobby disappeared for only a moment before returning with a pair of Jeans, a shirt and a blanket. "I doubt this'll fit, but anything's better than wandering around in yer shorts... Especially in my house." The gruff man said as he tossed the clothes onto the table in front of him and tossed the blanket onto the sofa.

"Thanks, Bobby." Chuck quietly replied. He watched as the older man turned to leave and took a deep breath. "I know you tried to reach them, before it happened..." He started, stopping Bobby in his tracks. "But there was nothing you could do, and now the only thing you can do, is not call him at all..." When he caught the other man's eyes, he couldn't help but feel his heart hit the bottom of his stomach. "If Zachariah knows you called Dean, to check in on him, he'll be able to find him."

Though Bobby didn't say a word, he nodded to let the other man know he had been listening. What was there to say after hearing that to help keep Dean one step ahead of the angels that were after him, he would have to cut off all contact? Tonight had been Hell, but he knew worse was to come. "He's in Castiel's hands, right?" He asked, watching as the prophet gave him a nod. "Then that's got to be good enough for now."

* * *

Castiel watched as men and women rushed to Dean's side, quickly pulling him from the blood soaked back seat of his car and laying him out on a gurney. Each person seem to have a task as they hovered around the unconscious man, some checking for a pulse while others evaluated the injuries as he was being rushed into the hospital. The angel didn't know what to do as he followed along, he knew Dean's injuries were severe and understood the other man would need time to heal, but time was something he didn't think they had. Unable to help in any way, he watched helplessly from the side lines as the once fearless, defiant man he had given up everything for, now fought for his life. Ignoring several requests to make his way to the waiting room, Castiel struggled with what he should do, for Dean's sake. He swallowed hard as he watched them roll the injured man straight to the operating room, a doctor refusing to let him enter and threatening to call security should he follow them into the restricted area.

Though reluctant to leave the young hunter on his own, Castiel made his way down the hospital halls back out to the parking lot. He shut the Impala's back door and slid in behind the wheel, pausing for a moment before he slipped the key back into the ignition and started the car. When the engine roared to life, he pulled the lever into drive, as he'd seen Dean do so often, and moved the car away from the front doors to an empty spot nearby. He put the shifter in park and slowly pulled the key from the ignition, his thoughts locked on the young hunter's condition as he looked up to the rear view mirror and into the empty, blood soaked back seat behind him.

"Anna, I could really use your help..." He said softly, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt her presence suddenly join him in the car. "I don't know what to do." He started, looking over to catch her eyes. "I've forsaken everything, I disobeyed and now I don't know..."

"Don't doubt yourself." She interrupted, her voice breaking into his sentence. "You rebelled against Heaven because you knew deep down inside, that it was the right thing to do." She paused as she watched his eyes settle on his hands around the steering wheel, on the smears of blood that covered his skin. "You did what you did, because Dean made you realize it was the right thing to do... Castiel, you're not the only one who feels this way and now that you've made a stand, others are starting to see that something is wrong... You've started a revolution."

"Anna, this is more than I can handle." He quickly replied, turning his attention back to the angel in the seat beside him. "Everything I ever thought I knew, is wrong."

"Maybe it's been wrong all along." She replied, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we've all been deceived from the start. We've always been told that disobedience, would be our death... but you're still alive and so am I." She paused for a moment as he looked over to catch her eyes. "If Zachariah gets his hands on Dean, it's over. The angels will bring on the Apocalypse, Lucifer will lead his demons to war and together they will wipe this earth clean while they fight for it. What Zachariah is doing is wrong and you know it, our father wouldn't have wanted this."

"What am I supposed to do?" Castiel asked softly, his tone of voice hitting a different kind of emotion as he leaned back in his seat. "Sam is dead and Dean is gravely injured..." He paused for a moment as his eyes once again drifted over to the rearview mirror and to the grim reflection it held. "I'm the one who pulled him from Hell, I threw him back into this world and now I can barely keep Zachariah off his back... I can barely keep him off my back."

"You're not fighting this alone." Anna started, her confidence strong. "Our resistance is growing and with Dean at the helm, we can still stop Zachariah from brining on the Apocalypse, we can still cast Lucifer back into Hell and we can still win this war." She paused for a moment as he once again looked over to catch her eyes. "Have faith in yourself, in what you believe and in the man who will lead the way... It's been long foretold that he would put an end to all of this."

"How can that be?" Castiel asked quietly, swallowing hard as his mind raced back to the moment he had pulled Dean from the burning mill. "He is in no condition for any of this and neither am I..."

"All things will come in time." She replied softly. "What you need to do right now, is make sure Zachariah doesn't find him. Keep your convictions strong and stay at his side; he's going to need you if he is to survive his brother's death."

"Thank you, Anna." He replied, offering a nod as she gave him a slight smile. When she disappeared from her seat, Castiel turned his attention to the starry sky above and the thought that one day, this could all be behind them.


	6. All you did was save my life

When Dean finally opened his eyes, he wasn't quite sure where he was. No longer on the concrete floor of the boiler room, or the blood soaked back seat of the Impala, he was now comfortably tucked in a bed. When his eyes focused on the stack of machines blinking and beeping next to him, he realized that he was in the Hospital. A tight bandage was wrapped around his chest and another around his shoulder. He tried to sit up, but the pain of the movement kept him lying in the bed. He let out a groan as a deep breath pulled as his battered body. When the door at the end of his bed slowly opened, his eyes caught those of a young woman.

"Good, you're awake." She started as she offered a warm smile. "Hello Dean, my name is Michelle." She said as she took a moment to study the papers on the clipboard between her hands. "How are you feeling?"

He stared at her for a moment while she waited for an answer, when she looked up from the paperwork to catch his eyes, he raised an eyebrow. "How do you know my name?"

"I have all of your info right here in front of me." She replied, holding the sheet of paper out for him to see. "Your brother filed the report last night when he brought you in and..."

"My brother?" Dean interrupted, swearing under his breath as he once again attempted to sit up.

Michelle gave him a slight nod. "Yes, Castiel..." She calmly replied. "Cute guy, the most intense blue eyes I have ever seen but no sense of humor." She paused for a moment as the man in the bed in front of her took a confused look at the room around him. "He brought you in last night with a gunshot wound to your shoulder and a hand full of shrapnel cuts to your chest. You are very lucky to be alive... The bullet that came in through the back of your shoulder missed some major organs by less than an inch and you lost a lot of blood."

"My brother?" Dean repeated, trying to get his head around what she had just told him.

Michelle raised an eyebrow as she let her hands fall to her sides. "Maybe I'll just drop back in once the painkillers wear off... I've got a few questions for you to answer about the nature of your injuries." She said as she turned to leave.

"No wait." Dean started, stopping her in her tracks. "Where is Castiel?"

"Oh he's around here somewhere, in fact it's the first he's left your side since you came out of the operating room." She replied as she offered a soft smile. "The fight he put up with the doctor when you came in last night almost got him arrested."

"Operating room?" Dean asked, vague memories of the night before slowly starting to trickle back into his throbbing head. While some pieces were as clear as day and as sharp as a blade, some were dull and others were missing from his memory all together. The last he remembered from the night before was passing out in the back seat of his car while the angel who had come to his rescue drove him to the Hospital. He didn't know how long he'd been out cold or where exactly he was.

"Yeah, you had a bullet lodged in your shoulder." She repeated, taking a quick look towards the door. "It looks like you hit your head pretty hard and you might have a slight concussion as well, do you remember anything at all from the night before?"

There was a moment of silence as Dean felt his breath start to catch in the back of his throat. "Yeah, I remember." He choked, swallowing hard as he thought of his little brother and the hunters that had killed him. Just thinking about it, he could still feel the barrel of the shotgun pressed into his chest.

Both looked over as Castiel stepped into the room, his expression changing slightly when he realized Dean was finally awake.

"There you are, you were gone so long I was starting to think you'd taken flight." Waiting for some kind of smile, Michelle watched the man by the door look over to catch Dean's eyes. "Because you took off?" She continued, trying to better explain herself. "After the fight you put up to stay with him..."

"Why would I fly away?" Castiel finally asked, cutting her short.

"It's an expression..." She replied, avoiding the confusion on his face as she gave Dean a polite smile. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit but I'll be back with some paperwork." She said as she made her way towards the door. When she passed Castiel in the doorway she avoided his gaze and continued down the hall.

"We really need to find you a sense of humor." Dean started, watching as the angel slowly shut the door and made his way over to his bedside. "Hey, where's your overcoat?" He asked, noticing right away that something was missing.

"In the back seat of your car." Castiel replied, pulling a chair up to the bed and taking a seat. "Covered in your blood." He clasped his hands together and took a moment to look down at them in his lap.

"Yeah, about last night..." Dean started, waiting to catch the eyes of the angel sitting at his side. "When did you learn how to drive?"

"I'm a fast learner." Castiel simply replied, reaching into his pocket to pull out a small slip of paper. "I found this on the window of your car."

Dean took the piece of paper from his hands, glancing at it for only a moment before focusing on the angel. "Do you know what this is, Cas?" He asked quietly, holding up the paper as a faint smile crept up from the corner of his lips.

"Not really, no." The angel replied, shaking his head.

"It's a parking ticket." Dean started. "Says here that you double parked and the car needs to be moved by noon or it'll be towed." When Dean put the piece of paper down in the tray table at his side, he watched the angel's eyes follow his hand. "What time is it?" He asked, glancing around the room for a clock.

"About twenty to twelve." Castiel quietly replied.

"I think it was probably for the better that I was unconscious when you drove me here last night." Dean continued, pausing for a moment as he watched Castiel eyes carefully study the piece of paper. There was something visible on the angel's face, something he may have overlooked before but now couldn't miss. "What's wrong, Cas?" He asked softly, pulling the angel's eyes away from the parking ticket.

Castiel took a deep breath as he straightened out in his chair. Though Anna's optimism circled in his head; everything she had told him the night before about Dean leading them to a victory, suddenly seemed so far from reach as he caught the eyes of the man in front of him. With the pain and despair the young hunter was harboring deep inside, Castiel could see nothing but worse case scenarios playing out like nightmares inside his head. "I don't know what to do, Dean..." He admitted quietly, thinking of all the angels that were not only after him, but after the man he had raised from Hell. "I've never been alone like this before."

"Yeah, well neither have I." Dean replied, thinking of what he had done and the price he had paid the last time he lost his brother and the last time he had been left feeling so alone. "But we'll figure this out together." He paused for a moment as he watched the renegade angel's eyes fall to the floor. Castiel had every right to feel overwhelmed; as an angel, he had never faced anything alone... but now, after turning his back on his brotherhood he was not only wanted, he had been abandoned. "Hey Cas, I want you to promise me something." Dean started, his voice pulling the renegade angel's eyes back up from the floor. "Whatever happens, promise me that you wont back down... forget about everyone else and what they say, just do what you think is right." When Castiel gave him a nod, he knew that they were in this together.

When a knock at the door caught their attention, the angel stood from his seat. "I'm sorry to interrupt." Michelle started as she made her way towards Castiel. "But I need you to sign a few papers..." Castiel eyed the form she passed him and watched as she pointed down to a line at the bottom, passing him a pen. He scrawled something to fill the space and watched as she turned to leave.

"Hey wait, Michelle can you do me a favor?" Dean called out, stopping her in her tracks as she turned to face him. "Can you go park my car?"

"You want me to park your car?" She asked as she watched Castiel fish the keys out of his pocket.

"I can't park... Apparently." The angel replied as he handed them to her.

She offered a smile as she took the keys from Castiel's hand and caught Dean's eyes. "Let me guess, a black Impala? Late '60 early 70's?"

Dean couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. "Yeah, is it that bad?" He asked, sucking in a breath as he felt his chest suddenly tighten. When she nodded, he couldn't help but shake his head. "I'd go out and do it myself, but you know..."

"Yeah, you're in no condition to drive." She replied as she took a quick glance at her watch. "Can I take her out for a spin?" She asked.

"Don't know, you'd have a lot of explaining to do if the cops pulled you over..." Dean replied as he caught her eyes. "I'm sure there's a lot of blood in there."

"Yeah and with my luck, I would get pulled over too." There was a moment of silence as her eyes drifted from Dean to the man standing at his side. "Want to come along for a crash course in parking?" She asked with a wink and slight grin as she jingled the keys in her hands. Without so much as a smile or reply from Castiel, Michelle sucked in a breath. "I'll be right back." She announced as she made her way towards the door and then headed out into the hall.

When Castiel once again took a seat in the chair at Dean's bedside, he couldn't help but notice the grin. "What?" He finally asked, watching as the other man simply shook his head.

"She was flirting with you, please tell me you know what that means..." When Castiel's expression didn't change, Dean couldn't help but let his head fall back into his pillow.

* * *

Chuck swore under his breath as he sat up, pulled from his sleep by yet another premonition he couldn't avoid. Dean was in the hospital, Castiel vigilantly by his side while he lay asleep in his bed. In the blink of an eye, Castiel was gone and in his place sat Lucifer. He pushed the image to the very back of his mind as his heart started to race. It took a moment for him to remember where he was but it quickly came back to him when Bobby turned the corner, shotgun in hand.

"What's wrong now?" The veteran hunter barked, his eyes focusing on the wreck of a man sitting at the edge of the sofa.

Chuck caught his eyes for only a moment before he looked over to the corner of the room. "They're coming and they're pissed." He muttered, jumping to his feet.

"Damn right we're pissed." Zachariah started, getting their attention as he entered the room. "We don't have time to play around, Chuck. You need to tell me where Dean is."

"I told you, I don't know where Dean is, I swear." Chuck replied, taking a step back as the angel took one forward. When his back hit the wall, Bobby shouldered his shotgun, loading it in one swift motion.

The angel put a hand out towards him and simply ripped the gun from the hunter's grip. "You can't kill an angel, haven't you already tried that before?" He growled, pausing for only a moment before turning his attention back to the prophet he had up against the wall.

"I don't know where he is, OK?" Chuck started, swallowing the lump caught in his throat as Zachariah approached. "The last time I saw him, he was at the mill with Sam, they were..."

"I'm not convinced." Zachariah growled, his menacing tone of voice silencing the other man. "Where is he." He demanded, pulling a knife from the side of his belt.


	7. Lay your weary head to rest

Chuck swore under his breath as the angel eyed him with a glare. Zachariah was intimidating to start with but the sharp knife in his right hand made the prophet's heart jump to his throat. "You wanna screw around with me boy, then I'm going to screw around with you." The angel growled, putting the knife up to Chuck's throat as he pinned the other man to the wall.

"Leave the kid alone." Bobby growled, his gruff voice pulling the angel's eyes away from Chuck for only a moment. When he came to take a step forward, he couldn't help but swear under his breath, he could no longer move... Zachariah had him pinned in place as well.

"Tell me where Dean is, or I'm going to start cutting you down one piece at a time" The angel threatened, holding the sharp knife against the prophet's throat.

"I guess you're just going to have to kill me." Chuck replied, closing his eyes as he sucked in a breath. "Because I'm not going to tell you a damn thing."

"Oh yes you are." Zachariah continued. "Because I can kill you and bring you back for more." There was a moment of silence as the angel once again looked over to catch Bobby's eyes. "And you're going to stand there and watch me do it over and over again..."

Before Zachariah could make another move, a blinding light consumed the room they were in. With a gust of wind and the blink of an eye, Zachariah was gone, leaving a terrified Chuck up against the wall and a stunned Bobby frozen in his tracks. Across from them stood Anna and a handful of strangers, behind them on the wall, a symbol Bobby had seen before... One used by the angels to cast their brothers and sister away. "Are you alright?" Anna asked, stepping forward as the others silently watched.

Chuck gave her a nervous nod as he watched her eyes drift over to the man at his side. "What's going on?" He asked quietly, getting her attention back from the veteran hunter.

Anna shook her head. "We're rebelling." She replied simply. "The angels are divided and we will no longer take the orders we are given."

"Yeah we get that, but why?" Bobby asked, his eyes focusing on the small group of people who had appeared in his living room.

"Because our orders were to destroy mankind." She answered frankly. "And we don't agree with them." She paused for a moment as the two men in front of her took a glance at each other. "An angel will stay at your side to keep Zachariah from reaching you, but you need to keep writing, Chuck..."

Chuck shook his head. "But then he's going to know..."

"Just keep it simple." Anna replied. "Don't write down anything that could pin point Dean's location, and don't write so far ahead." When he gave her a nod, she turned her attention to the man at his side. "Bobby, I'm sorry for your loss. Dean will be all right and I promise that you will hear from him when it is safe to do so." When the hunter gave her a nod, she walked back towards the renegade angels that had followed her. "You wont see us, but I can assure you that we're here, and we will do everything we can to save you, all of you."

"How much time do we have?" Bobby asked, watching as she paused in her steps to turn around and face him. "Before the world ends, how much time do we have?"

"That depends on Dean and Castiel."

With that said, the handful of renegade angels were gone, leaving Bobby and Chuck alone once again. "This is a load of crap." The hunter grumbled, walking over to grab his shotgun from the floor. "First we have demons to worry about, then Lucifer and now angels against angels?" He paused for a moment as he turned to catch Chuck's wide eyes. "Now what?" He asked, eyeing the other man from across the room.

Chuck shook his head as his eyes drifted over to the clock on the wall, it was just past noon. "Nothing." He replied, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "Hey, is it all right if I stay here with you for a little while? I really don't want to go back home..."

There was a moment of silence as Bobby watched the prophet nervously shift his weight. "Sure." He replied, knowing that the other man could use his company as much as he did in such a time of despair. "You can stay as long as you'd like."

* * *

Castiel watched silently as Dean lay asleep in front of him. His rhythmic breathing was the only sound in the room as he lay there on his back, his eyes closed and his hands crossed at his waist. Watching Dean sleep was a harsh reminder that humans were in a league of their own, nowhere near the angels above or the demons below them. They were prone to a range of emotions they couldn't control or avoid, emotions he was now only starting to understand. Before pulling Dean from Hell, he'd had little interaction with mankind, no knowledge of their daily struggles and inner turmoil. Though far from being a poster boy, the man in his charge had made him realize what being human was.

Still at a loss of what to do now, the angel carefully crossed his hands, hunching over in his chair. Dean had been asleep for nearly twelve hours, it was almost as if he hadn't slept in days. He knew the young hunter was weak, having lost a lot of blood on the way to the Hospital and the emotional drain of loosing his brother had certainly taken its toll. But the extent of the damage done, both physically and mentally wouldn't be known until Dean was back on his feet and back in his game.

Castiel straightened out as a soft knock on the door caught his attention. "Can I see you for a minute?" Michelle asked quietly, peering into the room as she pointed towards the hall. The renegade angel stood from his chair, taking a last glance at the man asleep in front of him before walking over to join the young nurse. He softly shut the door behind him before turning to face the woman who had been looking after Dean. Already, she had finished one shift, gone home and come back for another before the young hunter had even awakened. "The doctor said that he can be released as early as tomorrow as long as he takes it easy until he fully recovers." She paused for a moment as she handed him a form to fill. "He can't over exert himself and the use of his left shoulder should be very limited. He needs to just relax for now and once recovered, we'll be able to see if any permanent damage was done." When Castiel looked up from the form she had given him, his eyes focused on the small silver cross that was hanging around her neck. "Are you listening to me?" She asked with a slight chuckle. "My eyes are up here..."

"Of course they are... where else would they be?" Castiel simply replied, looking up to catch her eyes. There was a moment of silence and he couldn't help but shift his weight, unsure of what to say next but knowing what Dean really needed. "I have a favor to ask." He started, letting his hands fall at his sides. "Dean and I have nowhere to go, and he needs somewhere safe to stay until he's back on his feet."

"Well I can set you up at a local motel if you'd like." Michelle replied, watching as the man in front of her took a nervous look down the hall.

"Dean hates motels and we don't have much money between us." He was quick to reply. "Could he please stay with you, just until his injuries heal?"

"I'm sorry." Michelle started. "I don't usually take patients home with me..."

"Please." Castiel pleaded, watching as the young woman's eyes drifted away from his gaze. "He needs a safe place to rest, he needs comfort and stability... All these I can't offer him right now." He paused for only a moment as he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, instantly reading her past like he was reading a book. "Please, Michelle... what Dean needs is sanctuary."

When she turned to face him she couldn't help but notice the anguish in his eyes. There was something about him, something in his voice that made her trust him, all for the sake of a stranger she had met little more than a day ago. "All right, I'll do it." She replied simply. "But only until he is well enough to get by on his own."

"How long do you think that will take?" Castiel asked. "How long before his wounds heal?"

"Three weeks, maybe a little more." She replied, watching as he once again glanced down the hall. "Listen, I don't know what the whole story is here, but it's obvious that he's struggling with something else, emotionally."

"We recently lost a younger brother." Castiel simply replied, watching as her eyes dropped to the floor at his feet. "Dean may have taken it hard, which is another reason why he needs somewhere stable."

When she looked up to catch his eyes, she couldn't help but feel her heart sink like a stone. "I'm sorry for your loss." She started softly, pushing the brown hair from her eyes. "I'll do what I can, but I can't promise you that a good home will solve his problems." She paused for a moment as he silently offered a nod. "Now, if you would please come with me to the office, I'll get your papers ready for his release." Castiel gave her a nod as he followed her down the hall, only hoping the young hunter would rebound from the tragedy that had nearly taken his life. "You should really get some rest, I know you don't want to leave his side but you need some sleep."

"I'm not really tiered." The renegade angel replied simply.

"You know, for brothers, the two of you seem to be quite the opposites." Michelle started with a slight smile.

"We're half brothers, actually." Castiel replied, taking a moment to catch her eyes. "We have the same father..."

* * *

With the sound of the shotgun blast echoing in his head, Dean swore under his breath as he rolled onto his right side; pulled wide awake from the nightmare he had lived and the hunt that had cost Sam his life. His chest tightened with every breath as he tried to calm his racing heart and get his thoughts under control. His left shoulder was killing him and his chest was on fire, each breath sending a new wave of pain through his body. When he heard the footsteps approach his bed side, he looked over to watch as a doctor pulled up a chair and took a seat.

"Hello Dean." The doctor started, offering a smile as he carefully placed his clipboard in his lap.

Dean gave him a slight nod to acknowledge him but quickly turned his attention to the room they were in. "Where's my brother?" He asked quietly, taking a glance around for the renegade angel that had rarely left his side.

"He's in Hell." The man quickly replied, a slight smile to the corner of his lips. "Oh wait, you meant Castiel, didn't you?" He continued, putting a hand out towards the door to softly shut it from a distance.


	8. Anything easy has its cost

There was a moment of silence as Dean eyed the stranger in front of him. "Who the Hell are you." He started, his eyes drifting over the doctor's shoulder to focus on the closed door behind him.

"I'm the one you freed from Damnation." The stranger calmly replied. "Don't let this doctor thing fool you, it's the only vessel I could find in such short notice... Had to tell a little white lie to get it, but whatever works I suppose."

Dean's words caught in the back of his throat as he eyed the stranger carefully. It was a moment he had been anticipating with a vengeance, a moment he thought for sure that he would face with Sam at his side. "Lucifer." He breathed, his mind starting to race as he watched the Devil himself offer him a smile. Though he had never really given it much thought, his time served in Hell had led him to believe that Lucifer would be a fierce looking being, nowhere near the average looking man that was now sitting at his side. "What the fuck do you want..."

"I just wanted to personally thank you for getting the ball rolling." Lucifer started, placing the clipboard he had been holding at the foot of Dean's bed. "You broke the first seal, none of the others could be broken until you broke the first."

"The demons worked me until I couldn't take it anymore." Dean growled, his anger starting to surface as he eyed Lucifer with a hateful glare. "I didn't want any of this, I didn't know what..."

"There's no need to explain yourself." Lucifer cut in, silencing the other man as he put a hand up. "I'm not here to judge you."

"Then why are you here?" Dean snarled.

"I've already told you." Lucifer calmly replied. "I just wanted to personally thank the one that broke the first seal, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you..."

"What about Sam, you son of a bitch." Dean snapped, just the thought of his brother in Hell made his blood boil. "He broke the last seal, you wouldn't be here it weren't for him, don't you think you owe him a little something?"

"Your brother might have pushed the door open, but you're the one that unlocked it."

"You still needed him and if what he did was as important to you as what I did, you'd bring him back... or at least let him go." The young hunter growled. "It's not his fault your demons turned him into what he was, he didn't deserve to be sent to Hell for what they did to him..."

"Your brother is no prisoner of mine." The Devil interrupted. "He's in Hell on his own accord."

"Bullshit." Dean was quick to reply as he swallowed the lump caught his throat. "Because of what your demons did to him, he's spending his afterlife in the pit instead of the promised land..."

"I didn't take you to be one to believe in Heaven." Lucifer said softly, watching as the young hunter's eyes drifted away from his gaze. "But I guess since you are one of the very lucky few to have been pulled from Hell, you should believe."

"I don't believe in Heaven." Dean clarified, turning his attention back to the man at his side. "But there's gotta be something else out there better than Hell."

There was a moment of silence and as he watched Dean's eyes narrow, he could easily see the hostility and hatred. "Listen, everything you know about me, you read from the good book, right? Well I hate to break it to you kid, but what you know about me, is wrong." Lucifer started.

"What are you talking about..." Dean growled, clutching his injured shoulder in pain.

"Every story has two sides and all of you have only ever heard one, the one Zachariah influenced the prophets to write." Lucifer quietly started. "I may have disobeyed, but what I did, didn't deserve expulsion from Heaven." He paused for only a moment as he watched the young hunter's eyes once again drift over to the closed door behind them. "Zachariah didn't agree with me, he started spreading rumors and lies, he turned the other..."

"If you're looking for sympathy." Dean cut in, his tone of voice cold. "You're not going to get it from me."

Lucifer nodded as he straightened out in his chair, well aware that he wouldn't be able to make the other man see his side. "What I did..." He started softly. "Is nothing compared to what Zachariah has planned for you and the rest of mankind... You may have been raised to fear me, you may have been raised to hate me, but I am not the one who will bring on the Apocalypse... Zachariah and his army of angels are."

"You're lying." Dean hissed through clenched teeth, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"I have no reason to." Lucifer replied simply. "I'm surprised you didn't realize it sooner... When I did, I was thrown out before the matter could be passed before our father, I was..."

"Listen, I'm not buying what you're selling..." Dean snarled. "So you might as well stop wasting my time."

"Ok, let me put it this way then." Lucifer once again started, ignoring the hunter's last comments. "When I disobeyed, who do you think ordered the archangel Michael to cast me into Hell? Azazel might have started all of this when he chose his special children, but who do you think lined up the seals, so that Lillith could break them? Who do you think let her get away with it? Who do you think gave Castiel his orders to reach into Hell and pull you out, when he realized that he would need you later on? Who kept you from stopping Sam that night I walked free?" Lucifer paused for a moment as he watched Dean's eyes close for a moment, a troubled expression crossing his face as he let those words circle inside his head. " When Zachariah gets his hands on you, you'll be thrown back into his waiting room while his army of angels blindly follow his orders. They'll destroy the earth and then come after me and my demons when we try to claim it as our own."

"Why me?" Dean asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he thought of the chaos that was to come. "What does all of this have to do with me?"

"Rumor has it, that when all of this is over and done... Zachariah will use you to send me back to Hell." Lucifer calmly replied. "He thinks you're strong enough to kill me."

"Is that so?" Dean started, swallowing the lump caught in his throat as he thought of the night Lucifer rose, the night Zachariah had locked him away to keep him from stopping his brother. "So is that why you're really here?" He asked drily. "To kill me while you still can? While I can't even put up a good fight?"

Lucifer shook his head. "Not at all." He replied quietly. "Only an angel can kill another angel, and you my boy, are no angel... just a lost, shattered soul who's seen way too much. When Zachariah is done with you, he will get rid of you too." There was a moment of silence as he took a deep breath, leaning forward to place his arms on the side of Dean's hospital bed. "I'm really here, because I have an offer for you."

"Go back to Hell and bring your damn demons with you." Dean growled.

"Now here me out, boy." Lucifer replied smoothly. "This is one offer you might want to consider..."

* * *

Castiel watched as Michelle shuffled a handful of papers between her hands, looking for something he would need to sign for their records. His head snapped up as a sudden chill went down his spine, something was wrong. He swallowed hard as he took a glance down the hall towards Dean's room and then at Michelle behind the counter in front of him. "Will you excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back..."

"Sure, just stay on this fl..." Michelle paused as she looked up to face the man that had been standing at the counter in front of her only moments ago. Castiel was gone. As her eyes studied the hall and the handful of people going about their routines, she couldn't help but wonder where he had disappeared to now.

* * *

Lucifer put a hand out as he turned slightly in his chair, his eyes catching those of the renegade angel that had suddenly appeared behind him in the room. "Put that away..." He started, pointing to the silver dagger in Castiel's tight grip. "I just came here to talk."

"Get out of here, NOW." Castiel growled, his menacing tone of voice catching Dean by surprise.

Lucifer shook his head, the angel's threatening tone doing little to move him. "Put that away or I'll let Zachariah know where the boy is." He said, a smile creeping up from the corner of his lips as he watched Castiel reluctantly tuck the large blade into the back of his belt.

"What do you want." Castiel hissed, his eyes never leaving the Devil as he cautiously made his way over to Dean's side.

"As I was just telling Dean, I'm here because I have an offer to make." Lucifer started calmly. "As a token of my appreciation; for breaking the first seal and ultimately releasing me from my prison, I wanted to offer you three years of peace." He paused for a moment as he watched Dean look up to the renegade angel that was standing over him. "I've been bound for an eternity, I just want to enjoy my freedom before the angels wreak havoc on this world..." Lucifer explained. "Three years, Dean... you stay off my back and I'll stay off yours."

"You're no better than the demons you run with, you know that?" Dean growled. "I've been to Hell, I know how deceitful and sadistic you all are."

"You seem to be forgetting something." Lucifer replied quietly, his eyes catching those of the young hunter in front of him. "I may have been cast out... but I'm not a demon, I'm still an angel."

"Not in our eyes..." Castiel curtly replied.

There was a moment of silence as Lucifer's eyes left those of the young hunter to focus on the renegade angel watching over him. "I was thrown into Hell because I rebelled." He started, his voice filling the silence between them. "It was my understanding, Castiel, that a revolution was underway and that you are the one leading it." He paused for only a moment as Castiel's eyes narrowed. "You willingly sacrificed everything, you disobeyed, now you are wanted, and so are all of those who have followed you. I've been there before, I know how you feel." When Castiel looked away, he turned his attention back to the young hunter. "Dean, I'm offering you three years of not having to worry about me and my demons coming after you, three years for you to find a way to stop Zachariah and his angels."

"What's the point?" Dean replied, sucking in a painful breath. "Even if we find a way to stop Zachariah, you'll still raise your demons."

"Yeah, but you will have had three more years to enjoy yourself and three years is better than nothing at all, Dean." Lucifer replied with a slight smile, watching as the young hunter considered his offer. "It's your choice, but with Zachariah on your case, I thought you'd appreciate my..."

"I want to talk to Dean." Castiel cut in, his hands clenching into fists as his eyes locked on the Devil.

Lucifer offered a smile as he watched the renegade angel take a stance. "So go ahead and talk to him..."

"Alone." Castiel growled. "I want a word with him alone."


	9. I'm looking out for the two of us

There was a long pause and Castiel cleared his throat. "I want a word with him alone." He repeated, his words coming out more as an order than a request.

Lucifer gave the renegade angel a silent nod as he got up from his seat. "Make it quick, the Dr. has patients to see." He said, making his way to the door and stepping out into the hall for a moment.

When the door latched shut, Castiel turned his attention back to the young hunter in front of him. There was a moment of silence between them but he knew Dean's mind was racing with everything he had just heard. "Dean, you can't seriously be considering taking this offer." He started, his tone of voice forcing the other man to catch his eyes.

"Why not?" Dean asked, thinking of the possible advantage three years could give them.

"Because Lucifer is deceitful." Castiel replied as he started to pace the floor. "He wants you to stop Zachariah so he and his demons don't have to compete with him. He cannot be trusted, he is nothing more than a rogue angel with no..."

"I hate to tell ya this, Cas." Dean started, his words cutting into the renegade angel's sentence. "But you're nothing but a rogue angel too..." There was a moment of silence as Castiel came to a sudden stop, turning slightly to catch his eyes with a glare. "Is what Lucifer said about the Apocalypse true?" Dean asked quietly, quickly shifting the conversation back to the situation at hand. When Castiel gave him a nod, he cleared his throat. "Then we have enough to worry about without having the Devil and his damn demons on our ass... With him out of our way, we can focus on trying to stop Zachariah."

"You can't kill an angel, Dean." Castiel said as he once again started to pace. "And I'm not as strong as I use to be. When I rebelled, I lost most of what Heaven gave me."

"I know that."

"Then how do you suppose we're going to stop Zachariah?" Castiel asked.

"I don't know yet but we'll have three years to figure it out knowing we wont be burning the candle at both ends." Dean replied, trying to make the renegade angel understand the possible advantage they might have.

"And what if Lucifer is lying to you?" Castiel continued, once again pausing in his steps.

"What if he's telling the truth?" Dean replied softly. "What if he knows that he can't win this war, so he wants to spend as much time as he can here before he's thrown back into Hell." Dean paused for a moment as he watched the renegade angel's eyes study him carefully. "Cas, we've got to take whatever we can get..."

"You want to make a deal with the Devil." The angel stated, watching as the injured hunter gave him a nod.

"Between us, we've got nothing to loose anymore, Cas." Dean replied. "The angels are after us and if Lucifer wanted us dead, he would have killed us both already, or worse, he would have dragged me to Zachariah himself." Dean paused for a moment as he caught a glimmer of something in the renegade angel's eyes. It wasn't quite hope but it wasn't complete despair either. "We need more time and I'm willing to do just about anything it takes, if it means putting off the end of the world for just a little while longer."

There was a moment of silence as Anna's voice circled in his head, with Dean at the helm, at least they would have a fighting chance. Besides, the young hunter was right, between them, they really had nothing to loose and the more time they had to find a way to stop it, the better. "Whatever you think is best." He replied simply, knowing that Dean still had a long way to go before he would be ready to fight in any war.

"If we win, then we win." Dean bluntly stated, his tone doing little to soften the fact that the odds were stacked against them. "If we don't, then we're going down together and we're going down swinging hard." He continued, pausing for only a moment as the renegade angel caught his eyes. "You sacrificed everything... let's make it count."  
Both looked over as the door slowly opened and Lucifer casually stepped back into the room.

"So what's the verdict?" Lucifer asked, slowly making his way back towards Dean's bed. "Do we have an agreement?"

"No." Dean started, his stern tone of voice forcing Lucifer to catch his eyes. "I want five years instead of three and I want Castiel to be in on the same deal."

Lucifer couldn't help but smile as he shook his head. "Typical Dean, always calling the shots."

"Got to keep up the charade somehow." Dean replied, sucking in a breath as he clutched his injured shoulder in pain. "So what's it gonna be? I am a great hunter and I will do just about anything to bring you down, so if you want me off your tail, then I want five years instead of three."

Lucifer gave him a nod as he reached out to shake his hand. "It's a deal." He said, offering a suave smile. "Five years to the day, I will not seek either of you out and I expect you to do the same. Break the deal in any way and I will drag you to Zachariah myself... Survive the next five years, and I will be the first thing you see when your time is up." Lucifer said sternly, his eyes drifting up from Dean to Castiel. He watched as the renegade angel stood silently at the young hunter's side; one hand on Dean's arm and the other behind his back, surely clutching the silver dagger that was tucked into his belt. "I truly envy your loyalty and dedication." He said simply as he turned to leave. "And if I were you, Castiel... I would brand him now before the angels go into overdrive. I might not come looking for him, but they certainly will."

The pair watched as Lucifer made his way to the door, pulling it open and stepping out into the hall. When the door latched shut behind him, Dean looked up to the renegade angel at his side. "You can let go of my arm now, Cas... He's gone."

Castiel looked down, unaware of the hand he had clamped down around the young hunter's arm. "Sorry..." He replied as he released his tight grip.

"What did he mean by branding me?" Dean asked, watching as the renegade angel made his way over to the chair to take a seat.

"There's a ritual performed by angels that can hide humans from other angels." Castiel simply replied. "We're not to perform it unless it is ordered by a superior, but all of that no longer matters." He paused for a moment as he caught the young hunter's eyes. "If I brand you, you'll slip below their radar and you'll be undetectable to the Lord's angels."

"What about you?" Dean asked. "Will you still be able to find me?"

Castiel gave him a nod. "All those who have forsaken Heaven will be able to find you." He replied quietly as he pulled up his sleeve and leaned forward in his chair. "I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to hurt."

When Castiel placed a hand over his right collar bone, Dean couldn't help but close his eyes. Almost instantly, a searing pain jolted through his chest, making him swear under his breath as his hands clutched the sheets. His breath caught in the back of his throat as he swallowed hard. He could smell the burning flesh and for a moment, could have sworn he was back on the rack in Hell. When he felt the renegade angel's hand pull away, he dropped his head back into his pillow. "Son of a bitch..." He growled, wincing as the cool air slithered across his blistered skin. He reached up to lightly pass a hand over the burn, feeling the raised outline of a text or symbol now seared into his flesh. "By the time you're done with me, I'll be a walking masterpiece, Cas..." He said, watching as the angel straightened out in his chair.

"Consider them badges of honor." The renegade angel replied. "In a day or two, you'll be released from the Hospital." He started, catching the young hunter's eyes. "I've arranged a place for you to stay until your wounds fully heal... somewhere for you to lay low until I find a way to go after Zachariah, until our army is big enough to take his on."

"Great, another motel?" Dean asked with a sigh.

Castiel shook his head. "No... you're going to stay with Michelle."

"What? the nurse?" Dean replied, raising an eyebrow as he caught the angel's eyes. "Cas, the last thing I want is to drag some poor innocent woman into this... She doesn't need to know what I do for a living, OK?"

"Dean, one day, when Chuck's books get the recognition they deserve, the entire world will know what you do for a living."

"Yeah, but it won't be in my lifetime." Dean was quick to reply. "I don't want to put her in any danger..."

"You wont, you are hidden from Zachariah and the angels now." Castiel replied quietly. "Both of you will be safe as long as Lucifer keeps his end of your agreement." Castiel paused for a moment as his eyes drifted down to the blisters on the young hunter's chest, another severe burn that would leave a scar etched into his skin for the rest of his life... Just like the hand print he had left behind when he'd ripped Dean's soul out of Hell. "When the time is right, we'll go after Zachariah, but until then, what you need is a good home, sanctuary and time for your wounds to heal both physically and mentally."

"So what, I'm just supposed to take a break for a while?" Dean started, watching as the renegade angel gave him a nod. "Cas, I don't need time to sit around and think about all this bullshit. The very first thing I want to do, before going after Zachariah or Lucifer, is find those hunters that..."

"You are in no condition to hunt right now." Castiel interrupted. "Going after them would be reckless."

"I honestly really don't care at the moment, Cas." Dean replied, doing his best to keep his eyes from tearing up as he thought of last time he'd seen his little brother alive. "Zachariah and Lucifer can wait, those hunters have to pay for what..."

"Your brother died saving your life." The renegade angel growled, trying to make the other man look passed his need for revenge. "How would getting yourself killed, for something so pointless, justify his ultimate sacrifice?" There was a moment of silence and Castiel couldn't help but take a deep breath as he watched Dean wipe the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. "What your brother gave you is precious, don't waste it going after a handful of hunters who made the wrong choice. You are needed for bigger things, much bigger things, and if you want to do him justice, you'd put this anger aside and take a step back to clear your head. Right now, you're not thinking straight and your emotions are clouding your judgment. I need you to keep your focus on what's truly important... The fate of mankind is resting on your shoulders."

"Cas, how long could this drag out?" Dean asked, his low tone of voice filling the moment of silence between them.

"Years, hopefully more." Castiel replied quietly. "The longer I can keep Zachariah from finding you, the better."

" I can't just sit around and..."

"Dean." The renegade angel interrupted, once again silencing the other man. "You've spent your entire life, saving other people... It's time you saved yourself." He paused for a moment as he watched the young hunter's eyes drift away from his stare. "All of this is too heavy a burden for you to carry at the moment, it's too much for you to handle while you're so broken up inside. Let me worry about finding a way to stop Zachariah and put hunting behind you for a little while." When Dean looked over to catch his eyes, he knew his words had just hit home. "When we're ready to strike, you will be able to join us with a new perspective and a better state of mind."

Both looked over as a knock at the door caught their attention. When Michelle walked in, Castiel stood from his seat. "Where did you rush off to?" She said as she offered the angel a smile. "I turned my back to you for a second and when I turned around again you were gone."

"Yeah, he tends to do that often." Dean replied as he quickly closed the collar of his shirt to cover the mark Castiel had made in his chest.

"Well, he can come and go as he pleases, but I hope you don't intend to do the same while you're under my roof." Michelle said as she caught his eyes. "If you're going to be living with me for the next few weeks, you'll be taking it easy until those wounds heal." She paused for a moment as she waited for the injured man to give her a nod.

"Yes ma'am." Dean replied as he watched her reach over to grab the clipboard that had been left at the foot of his bed.

"I don't know what it is, but there's something about you..." She continued, glancing at the papers she'd just picked up. "Was Dr. Nedra in to see you?" She asked.

Dean gave her a nod. "Yeah, he just dropped by for a second."

"Well then, I guess he forgot this in here." She started. "Will you excuse me, I'm just going to go file this." She said as she gave them a polite smile, turning on her heels to go find the other man.

Dean shook his head as he watched the young woman disappear down the hall. "How did you even get her to agree to this?" He asked, turning his attention back to the angel at his side.

"I simply asked her." Castiel replied. "I also did a background check, she's not as oblivious as you think she is."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"You'll know soon enough." The renegade angel replied


	10. Wont you put the past away

"Easy, easy..." Michelle said as she watched Dean slide into the passenger seat of his car, wincing in pain as he straightened out in his seat. "How are you doing?" She asked, handing him a sheet of paper and a set of house keys.

Dean glanced at the address she'd passed him before looking up to catch her eyes. "Still sore." He replied quietly as he watched Castiel slide in behind the wheel of the Impala.

"Well it'll be like that for at least another week, then things should get better." She paused for a moment as she glanced down to her watch. "I have a room set up for you on the main floor and I finish in about an hour, so I'll be home then, alright? My cell number is also there with the address so if you need anything at all before then, just call."

"Thanks Michelle..." Dean replied as she gave him a smile and closed his door. His eyes drifted over to the angel behind the wheel as Castiel slid the key into the ignition and started the Impala. "You enjoy this, don't you?" He asked as the angel put the car into drive and pulled out of the hospital's parking lot.

"I could get use to it." Castiel replied simply.

Dean couldn't help put smile as he watched Castiel's eyes scan the road ahead of them carefully, just like a new driver. He took a deep breath as he turned slightly in his seat, glancing into the back seat made his stomach turn. Among the mess was his leather jacket and the angel's tan overcoat that was now stained red with his blood. "I'm so sorry, Baby... I'll clean this all up as soon as I can, I promise..." He whispered, his eyes focusing on the dry blood that covered the leather seat as he gently passed a hand against the dashboard in front of him.

"Why do you talk to your car, like you talk to your women?" Castiel asked, looking over for a moment as Dean straightened out in his seat.

Dean couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. "Because all cars are female, and if you don't treat them right, they wont be good to you." He replied. There was a moment of silence as the young hunter studied the angel that was behind the wheel of his car. For the vast amount of chaos and confusion between the angels; Castiel's expression never really seemed to change. Quiet, reserved, pensive... If he were the one leading an army of renegade angels into war against Heaven, while he knew Lucifer and his army of demons were waiting for their turn to strike; he'd at least be showing some concern, if not complete panic. Just thinking about it made him anxious; the role Castiel was filling was only temporary and one day, or so he was told, he would be the one at the helm of it all. "Hey Cas..." He started quietly, watching as the angel looked over for only a moment. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to be human?"

"The more time I spend with you, the less I need to wonder about it." Castiel replied, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "You have so much emotion, so much angst... I don't understand how you can manage it all." He paused for a moment as Dean pointed to a road on his left.

"You know, we don't all have the same emotions. If all you've seen is me, you're missing the whole other end of the spectrum." Dean replied, his voice breaking the moment of silence between them. "There's much more to it than anger, sorrow, hate..."

"I have seen the other end of it." Castiel replied, his eyes never leaving the road ahead. "I've seen it in the way you looked out for Sam, in how you willingly gave up your life... to save him." There was another moment of silence as he glanced over to catch the other man's eyes. "If that isn't devotion or love, then I don't know what is."

The drive to Michelle's house was quiet; while Dean thought about his little brother's fate, Castiel thought about the future of the man sitting at his right. Thought hidden from the other angels, he knew Zachariah would eventually find a way to get his hands on Dean, Zachariah was persistent and nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted. Out of the Hospital but far from being out from under the gun, now it was only a matter of time for Dean... Time for him to see whether or not Lucifer would be true to his word, time for him to heal from the wounds he suffered at the hands of other hunters, and time for him to put his life as he knew it, on hold, if only for a little while.

By the time Castiel pulled into the long dirt driveway, they were about twenty minutes or so on the outskirts of town. The simple two story brick house was old, but well kept. A garage stood off to one side and at the back, they could see a dilapidated barn at the edge of a field surrounded by trees. "So she's a country girl..." Dean said as the angel put the Impala in park and got out of the car. He winced in pain as he undid his seat belt and stepped out of the Impala, pausing for a moment to look up at the brick house before shutting his door.

"How can you live out of your car?" Castiel asked as he pulled Dean's small duffle bag out of the trunk and made his way over to the passenger's side.

"It's easy, just requires a lot of trips to the Laundromat." Dean replied, passing Castiel the house key as he took his duffle bag from the angel's hands. "I've gotta admit Cas, without that trench coat of yours, you look pretty slick..."

Castiel looked down at himself before looking up to catch Dean's eyes. "Slick?" He asked, turning to make his way towards the house.

"Yeah, you look less like an overworked stiff." Dean continued as he carefully followed the angel up the few front steps to the door. He watched as Castiel shoved the key into the lock and pushed the door open for him. "So what exactly are you going to do while I sit around here for a few weeks?"

"I'm going to gather an army with Anna, find a way to take Zachariah down before he figures out where you are hiding out." Castiel replied as he passed Dean the house key. "Take care of yourself... I'll be checking in on you daily."

When the renegade angel turned to leave, Dean cleared his throat to get his attention. "Hey Cas..." He started, dropping his bag to the floor at his feet. "I don't think I've ever actually thanked you... for pulling me from Hell." There was a moment of silence as Castiel turned to face him.

"I know you're thankful." The angel replied simply. "You don't need to say it."

"Actually I do." Dean continued, giving him a nod as he put a hand against the door frame to keep his balance. "Thanks for everything Cas..." He said, watching as the angel gave him a nod and turned to make his way down the front steps; vanishing before he reached the Impala parked in the driveway.

* * *

"How do you feel tonight?" Michelle asked as she placed a glass of water on the small table at his side and dropped a painkiller into his open hand.

"Better." Dean replied as he popped the pill into his mouth and took gulp of water. "The pain isn't pulsing through my shoulder anymore." He continued as he leaned forward to let Michelle examin the back of his shoulder where the bullet had ripped a hole into his flesh.

"Looks like the sutures are holding up alright." She started, carefully looking over the wound. "Should be good to cut those out in a week or so." She sucked in a breath as her eyes drifted over to the burn on his arm. It was something she wanted to ask before, but couldn't bring herself to doing so while he was a patient at the Hospital. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to your shoulder?" She started quietly, taking a seat on the bed at his side as she watched him look down to the scar. "A second degree burn or worse in the shape of a hand that..."

"Michelle, I don't want to talk about that right now." Dean quietly cut in, silencing her as he looked over to catch her eyes. "I just can't talk about that right now..."

"It's alright." She replied softly, pushing the hair out of her eyes. "It wasn't my place to ask."

There was a moment of silence and as Dean thought of the angel that had pulled him from Hell, he couldn't help but notice the silver cross that was hanging around Michelle's neck. "Hey, can I ask you something?" He started, his eyes drifting up to meet hers. "Do you believe in angels and demons? Heaven and Hell? God and the Devil?" He paused for a moment as she gave him a nod. "I'm not like other people..." He started quietly, carefully choosing his words as the young woman in front of him listened intently.

"You're a hunter, aren't you?" She asked, her question catching him by surprise. "You and Castiel."

Caught off guard, Dean simply gave her a nod. "How did you know that?"

"Well for starters, your tattoo is of a devil's trap, there's an amulet around your neck and the text on your chest is some sort of really really old school concealment seal... Like biblically old." She paused for a moment as she watched Dean pass a hand over the burn Castiel had left on his collar bone. "And then there's that brooding, secretive look in your eyes... No real answers to any questions asked, nothing too personal. My father and brother were both hunters... I know what it's like."

Dean shook his head as she gave him a smile. "And here I thought you were just an ordinary girl, a hard working nurse that knew nothing about the other side of the coin we call life..."

"I am just an ordinary girl." Michelle replied quietly. "I just know a little something about hunting and what it does to people. Why do you honestly think I agreed to have you come stay here while your wounds heal? Castiel told me you lost a younger brother and you needed some time."

"I just thought it was because you liked me." Dean replied with a grin.

"It's because I knew you'd just come back from a hunt gone wrong." She paused as she watched his eyes drift away. "You and Castiel were out on a hunt that night he brought you in, weren't you?" She asked, watching as he gave her a nod. "So, is this something you got into, or something you grew up to?"

"Something I grew up to." Dean replied. "My mom was a hunter and when she was killed by a demon, my dad started hunting too. He took my brother and I out on the road with him and hunting became the only thing we knew." Dean paused for a moment as he thought about what he wanted to share with the young woman at his side and what he wanted to keep to himself. "My father was killed a few years ago and my younger brother died the night Cas brought me into the ER..." He replied as he swallowed hard, all of it still so vivid in his mind. "What about you?"

"My father was killed while fighting a shape shifter when I was just a kid and my mother died a few years later, of cancer." Michelle replied quietly. "I didn't get into hunting because my brother Nick wouldn't allow it." She said as she shook her head. "He told me once, that hunting wasn't the life for me, that there were better ways for me to save people." She wiped a tear from her eye as the memory drifted through her mind.

"Did he die on a hunt?" Dean asked, getting her attention.

"No..." Michelle replied, shaking her head. "He was driving home from a hunt late one night when a drunk driver crossed the center line, crashed head on into his pickup truck. The other driver survived... And it makes me sick just thinking about this guy living the rest of his life, not knowing about the hero he killed that night."

Dean reached out to put his hand over hers, taking a moment to think about what she had just told him. "Sometimes, I think humans are no better than the things I hunt." He admitted, thinking of the hunters that had killed his brother that night at the mill.

"So..." Michelle started, changing the subject as she took a deep breath. "Now that that little secret is out, I suppose once your wounds heal up you'll be back out there hunting down what killed your brother, right?"

Dean shook his head. "Cas wants me to take a step back for a little while, take a break from hunting..."

"OK, and is it safe to assume that with you being a hunter and all, that you have no home or place to go when you're well enough to leave?" Michelle asked, once again catching him by surprise.

Dean couldn't help but let the smile creep up from the corner of his lips. "You really do know hunters, don't you?" He said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, if you'd like... You're more than welcome to stay here while you and your brother figure things out."

When he caught her eyes, he offered a smile. "Thanks for everything, Michelle..."

"No problem." She replied quietly as she got up from her seat. "Now you get some sleep."


	11. Be a simple kind of man, be something that you love and understand

_What started as a week or two at Michelle's, quickly turned into months and before he knew it, months had turned into years. Dean couldn't believe how things had changed, it wasn't until he had put hunting on the back burner did he realize just how much of his life it actually consumed. Though Bobby was furious when he found out Dean had dealt with Lucifer and decided to pull out of the fight for a few years, his anger quickly faded when he realized not having Dean on the front lines would keep him away from Zachariah, and that his deal with the Devil would keep the demons off his back._

_As time went on, so did everything else; life without Sam was hard at first, but it was something that he had come to accept and live with. Michelle,had somehow managed to fill the void his brother had left, she was someone to love and care for, someone to look out for and most of all, she was someone worth fighting for. The only problem was, that Michelle didn't know about the angels and the looming Apocalypse, she didn't know he'd gone to Hell and she didn't know that his older 'brother' Castiel was really a rogue angel, not simply another hunter looking out for him. Every other day he would meet with Castiel, holding out hope that his army of renegade angels had found a way to take Zachariah down and every other day, they would be no closer to finding a solution._

Chuck let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair, passing a hand over his face as he eyed the computer screen in front of him and the pile of papers at his side. When Bobby's hand fell on his shoulder, he couldn't help but jump. "Don't DO that..." He replied, a hand to his chest as he tried to stop his racing heart. "Interrupting my train of thought could lead to unimaginable..."

"Relax kid." Bobby said with a shrug as he passed the prophet a cold beer. "It's not like you're thinking about all this shit while you're writing it."

"It doesn't matter, my process is incredibly complex and when you startle me like that, I loose my vibe."

"Your vibe?" Bobby asked, taking a sip of his beer as he eyed the man sitting at his small, cluttered desk. "You'd think that after living here with me for almost four years, you'd be use to having someone else around..."

"Hard for me to get used to..." Chuck replied as he turned in his seat to face the older man.

"So, where did you send Zachariah off to this time?" Bobby asked with a slight smile. "Somewhere nice I hope..."

"Nope, just an old motel out in the middle of nowhere..." Chuck replied with a chuckle, gathering the small pile of papers in front of him. "I made him think Dean was staying there tonight, should keep him busy for the night."

"Any word from our renegade angels?" Bobby continued, eyeing what Chuck had opened on the computer screen in front of him.

Chuck cleared his throat as he offered a nod. "Um, yeah actually... They're all headed to a small town where they think some of Zachariah's boys might have torn through on their way somewhere."

"The angels are on the move?" Bobby asked, letting out a sigh. "That can't be good, any idea where they were headed?" He asked, watching as the prophet simply shook his head. "Hey Chuck, what are we supposed to do if Castiel and Dean can't find a way to stop Zachariah?"

There was a moment of silence as Chuck thought of what the veteran hunter had just asked. Though the thought had certainly crossed his mind, and surely Dean and Castiel's, he really never gave it much thought and he didn't really have an answer. "I'm not sure." He started. "If they can't find a way to stop Zachariah, then all they can do is stay out of his reach... That is, until Dean's deal with Lucifer is up and the Devil goes after him... Castiel's concealment seal might hide him from the Lord's angels but not the rogue ones."

Bobby couldn't help but swear under his breath, he readjusted his hat and let out a sigh as he caught Chuck's eyes. "We're getting nowhere, here." He stated, his blunt tone of voice putting his thoughts across without much effort. "It's been nearly four years since all of this started and we are no closer today than we were then, at finding a way to stop it."

"What is it exactly that you want me to say?" Chuck started quietly, leaning back in his chair as he placed his beer on the desk in front of him. "That everything is going to be all right? That Dean and a handful of rebellious angels will save the world and all of this will end well?" He paused for a moment as he took deep breath. "I hate to break it to you, but that doesn't seem to be the likely scenario here..."

"That's a rather bleak outlook, don't you think?" Bobby asked.

"Well, I'm not going to sugar coat it for you." Chuck replied, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "As far as I can tell, Cas isn't strong enough to kill one of his superiors and though Dean's apparently supposed to be the only one able to stop all of this... Dean's not an angel." There was a moment of silence as he watched Bobby's eyes hit the floor. "You'd better make the most of the next year before all Hell breaks loose... Because it might just be our last one."

* * *

"Goodnight sweetheart." Dean whispered as he pulled the blanket up to her chin and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you." When he turned to face the renegade angel that was standing in the door, he couldn't help but smile. "Isn't she beautiful?" He asked as he quietly made his way over to Castiel.

The angel couldn't help but return the smile as his eyes focused on his sleeping Goddaughter. "More gorgeous than the night before." He replied as they stepped out into the hall and Dean softly shut the door behind them. "She's got your eyes."

"Yeah, but everything else belongs to her mother." Dean replied with a slight chuckle.

"Is Michelle working tonight?" Castiel asked, glancing around the quiet house as he followed Dean down the hall and into the kitchen.

Dean shook his head as he made his way out to the back porch, the angel following him closely. "No, she's sleeping." He replied as they stepped outside and took a seat in the back stairs under a single light. "She's got the early shift this week."

"When are you going to tell her about us?" Castiel suddenly asked, watching as the other man's eyes drifted over to the old barn at the edge of the woods. "When are you going to tell her about the angels being here on earth, about Zachariah and..."

"When the time is right." Dean interrupted, silencing the angel sitting beside him without giving him so much as a glance. "Cas, how many times are we going to have this conversation?" He continued a slight annoyance in his voice as he let out a sigh.

"As often as it takes for you to just come out with it." Castiel was quick to reply. "Dean, you're going to have to tell her sometime... preferably before your deal with Lucifer is up." He continued, trying to make the other man realize that his life couldn't be kept a secret.

"There's nothing she can do about it, why have her worry?" Dean replied quietly, passing a hand over his face. "If I were her, I'd rather not know that the..."

"Well, you're not her." The angel cut in, his stern tone of voice forcing the other man to catch his eyes. "And she deserves to know what's going on."

"She will." Dean curtly replied, trying to keep his voice from rising. "Just not right now."

"You're on standby Dean, you have an army of renegade angels ready to follow you into war and the mother of your child still has no idea what's going on." Castiel started, pausing for only a moment as he took a deep breath. "This isn't what I meant when I told you to put hunting behind you for a little while, you can't hide your life from her."

"Cas, I swear I'll tell her..."

"Does she even know you've finally started hunting again?" Castiel asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as Dean once again looked out towards the old barn at the edge of the woods, anywhere just to avoid his stare.

"She knows I've gone out a few times around town." Dean replied quietly, letting out a sigh as he thought of his new little family and of the life he once lived with Sam. Back then, he was a hunter; determined yet reckless at times, he would risk everything without doubt or second thought if it meant saving an innocent life, or saving his little brother. Now, he was a father, someone was depending on him, counting on him and everything he did, he did with her in mind. He had gotten a paying job to support her, put his reckless ways behind him to protect her and had traded in his life on the road to be there for her. His actions today could drastically change her future and though he understood his importance to the rebellious angels that were waiting for his command, his little girl came first and keeping his family in the dark about the bleak road ahead and the life he was leading seemed to be for the best... His burden wasn't theirs to carry. "So Cas, what's next?" Dean asked, changing the subject. "I heard some of Zachariah's boys tore through a small town not too far from here, like they were looking for something."

"Or, someone..." Castiel replied quietly, his words pulling the other man's gaze away from the scenery. "Dean, the haunting we handled last week was in that same town..." He paused for a moment as he caught the young hunter's eyes. "I think they're getting closer."

"How'd they even pick up a trail?" Dean asked.

"I'm not sure." Castiel replied, looking up to the starry sky above. "You're still hidden from them, but I think they've started to narrow down your location. Anna and our fallen angels have gone out to find them, see where they are headed next and Chuck told me that he sent Zachariah off to some motel... Made him think you were there on a hunt."

"When Zachariah figures out that Chuck's been writing some crap to keep him occupied, he's going to pissed." Dean muttered half under his breath. "So what about you? Where are you headed tonight?"

"North, check out a few hot spots in a town nearby where residents reported seeing a falling star touch down." Castiel replied, getting up from the back steps. "Something fell in a cemetery, something powerful enough to have scorched the ground and headstones."

"Recruiting another angel?" Dean asked, watching as Castiel tucked his hands into the pockets of his black overcoat.

"Perhaps." The angel replied simply. "What about you?"

"I thought I'd hit the town, see what I can dig up about this one guy I've been looking for..." Dean replied as he watched the angel give him a nod. "Might be a Shapeshifter but he seems to have quite the entourage."

"Be careful, Dean." Castiel replied as he turned to leave.

"Yeah, you too Cas." Dean started as he watched the angel walk off towards the field. "If you find it, give me a call." He said before Castiel simply vanished. He took a deep breath of the cool night air as he thought of what Castiel had told him. Castiel was right, Michelle did have a right to know about the angels and the Apocalypse... He just couldn't think of a way to let her know that all of it, was resting on his shoulders. He let out a sigh as he got to his feet and made his way over to the garage to gather what he would need for his hunt.

* * *

Castiel carefully scanned the graveyard as he made his way around the headstones, looking for any sign at all of what the locals had reported seeing. He paused in his steps as a chilling wind picked up the dead leaves that were rustling at his feet. Aside from the eerie shadows littering the grounds he was walking, and the crackling of dead tree limbs overhead, there was nothing indicating the falling star he had heard of. When his cell phone rang, he quickly fished it out of his pocket, knowing exactly who would be on the other end of the line. "What is it Dean?" He asked, glancing around the deserted graveyard.

_"Cas, it's not a Shapeshifter... It's...possesed few... I need your help."_

Castiel looked down at the cell phone in his hand before putting it back up to his ear. "Dean you're breaking up, where are..."

_"At the old... on the corner... 5th and main... Hurry Cas."_

Castiel swore under his breath as the line cut out. He quickly flipped his cell phone shut and before he tucked it back into his pocket, he was at the corner of 5th and main; standing on the main floor of a rundown warehouse. "Dean?" He asked, reaching into the side of his belt to pull out a silver blade the other man had given him. "Dean, are you here?" He asked, trying to pick up on the young hunter's presence as he cautiously made his way around the dark, desolate warehouse. When the sound of glass crushing under someone's feet caught his attention, he turned on the spot. Expecting to see the Shapeshifter Dean had been hunting, he held the silver blade out in front of him, freezing when he realized the simple hunting knife wouldn't be enough to protect him.

"Surprise." Zachariah started, his sharp voice echoing in the room around them as he ripped the silver blade out of Castiel's tight grip. "Sorry I had to fake a phone call, but you have no idea how hard it is to get you alone these days..." Zachariah continued, eyeing the silver blade he had just commandeered as he took a short step forward.

* * *

The single light bulb that hung over his work bench flickered as it cast his shadow against the floor, illuminating his array of weapons that were displayed in front of him. Dean pulled the silver knife from its case to study it carefully, passing a finger over the blade to be sure of its sharpness. Satisfied, he added it to his duffle bag and grabbed a handful of rock salt filled shot gun shells, just in case. He tucked his pistol into the side of his belt and zipped his duffle bag shut, dragging it off his work bench with one hand as pulled down a thick army tarp to cover his weapons with the other. When he reached out to shut the light, he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that he was being watched. It was just one of those things that was hard to shake when the hair on the back of his neck stood and a chill went down his spine. He swallowed hard as he dropped the duffle bag onto the work bench and quickly pulled his gun from the side of his belt. When he turned on the spot, his heart jumped to his throat.

"Hello, Dean..." Lucifer started, leaning forward to place his arms on the roof of the Impala that was parked between them.


	12. I'm living for giving the Devil his due

Castiel swallowed hard as he reached into the back of his belt to pull out his long silver dagger, the angel's only true weapon. Having it out with Zachariah wasn't something he was ready for, he knew his superior had the upper hand and that his weapon of choice was more or less useless, but with the situation he currently found himself in, he couldn't think of anything better to do. He took a nervous step back as Zachariah took a casual one forward.  
  
"Oh please, like that's going to do anything." Zachariah started, ripping the dagger out of Castiel's grip without laying on a hand on it, just like he had done to the sharp silver blade. "You'd practically have to catch me by surprise for that little thing to work." He continued.  
  
Castiel watched as his one and only weapon against another angel rolled off into the darkness somewhere, the sound of it hitting the floor echoing off the old crates around them. When his eyes focused on the seal that was etched into the floor at his feet; a seal meant to keep an angel from leaving, the trap that he was now standing in, he swore under his breath.  
  
Zachariah let out a chuckle as he watched Castiel take a glance at the dark warehouse they were in, nothing but rows of discarded crates and debris. "Your renegade angels aren't going to come to your rescue." He said, a cryptic smile crossing his face as he paused in his steps. "They're all out chasing some of my boys, a nice diversion if I do say so myself."  
  
"What do you want." Castiel hissed, his eyes narrowing on the angel he had once served under, an angel he had once trusted.  
  
"What do you think I want?" Zachariah replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
  
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you can't have me." Castiel replied wryly.  
  
Zachariah let out a sigh as he shook his head. "I think you've been spending too much time with the boy, you're starting to sound like him... Not a good thing." He said, pausing for a moment as Castiel's eyes drifted away from his stare. "I also couldn't help but notice the deal you made with Lucifer... Don't you think that's sinking a little low? I mean, even for you."  
  
Castiel simply shrugged. "I figured that if I was going to rebel, I might as well go all out and make it count." He replied with a smirk.  
  
"I'm done screwing around." Zachariah started with a cold, stern tone of voice. "It's been almost four years since Lucifer walked free, play time's over... I want to know where Dean is, and you're going to tell me." He said menacingly, his words piercing the moment of silence.  
  
"You're going to have to kill me." Castiel hissed, his hands clenching into tight fists. "Because I'm not going to tell you a damn thing."  
  
Zachariah let out a chuckle as he eyed the rogue angel in front of him. "We'll just see about that." He started quietly, carefully examining the silver hunting knife he had taken. "Now isn't that something, he had your name engraved and everything..." Zachariah continued, passing a finger over the lettering that graced the side of the long blade. "Does that mean you're now an honorary member of the Winchester family?"  
  
"It was a gift." Castiel growled, swallowing hard as he watched the other angel hold up the silver hunting knife that Dean had given him. "If you honestly think a simple silver blade is going to be enough to..."  
  
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you with it." Zachariah interrupted, a sadistic smile to the corner of his lips. "I'm just going to have a little fun..."  
  


* * *

  
"We had a deal." Dean growled, his grip tightening on the gun in his hand as his eyes narrowed on the man standing on the other side of his car. "You gave me five years."  
  
"Relax, I'm not here on business." Lucifer replied quietly. "It's a personal matter."  
  
"I don't give a shit, a promise is a promise and I still have a year." Dean started as he loaded his gun. "Get your hands off my car and get the fuck out of here."  
  
Lucifer shook his head as he took a step away from the Impala. "That's not going to kill me." He started, pointing to the gun in the young hunter's tight grip.  
  
"Maybe not, but it'll make me feel better." Dean growled.  
  
Lucifer couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Go right ahead then, but you might wake your little one..."  
  
"Why are you here, what do you want." Dean spat.  
  
"I wasn't going to bother finding you, since I knew you'd be uncooperative, but I thought I'd at least try."  
  
"Why are you here." Dean repeated, his stern tone of voice cutting the Devil short. "What do you want."  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that Zachariah set Castiel up." Lucifer started, watching as Dean reluctantly lowered his gun. "He faked a call from you to get Castiel alone and now he's going to do what he has to... Until Castiel tells him where you are."  
  
"How do I know that you're telling the truth." Dean growled, swallowing hard as he thought about Castiel and the safety of his own little family.  
  
"Unfortunately, you don't." Lucifer replied quietly as he caught the other man's eyes. "But I have no reason to lie. I'm not here for you and until tonight, I've kept up my end of our little agreement."  
  
There was moment of silence and Dean's eyes drifted away from the fallen angel in front of him. What if Lucifer was telling him the truth? What if Castiel really was in trouble? In three years, he hadn't seen the Devil or any of his demons, just as Lucifer had promised. "Why are you telling me this?" Dean asked, watching as Lucifer slowly made his way around the Impala to join him.  
  
"Because I'm not ready for Zachariah and his angels to come after me just yet." Lucifer calmly replied. "If Castiel tells him where you are, all of this could end tonight, the Apocalypse could start..."  
  
"Yeah and if I show up to find Castiel, Zachariah would get his hands on me anyway." Dean replied as he narrowed his eyes. "I can't kill an angel, so if I show up, I might as well just turn myself in, it's..."  
  
"He wont see you coming." Lucifer cut in, silencing the other man. "You're hidden from him and his angels, remember? All you need to do is show up and cast him away, send him back to Heaven so you can get Castiel out of there before Zachariah makes him talk."  
  
"Won't that ritual send Cas away too?" Dean asked.  
  
Lucifer shook his head as he watched the young hunter shift his weight. "Doesn't work on the fallen, Heaven's off limits to him now." He replied simply. He paused for a moment as he caught Dean's skeptic eyes, eyes that were questioning his motive and reason for being there in the first place. "Look, I know you doubt me and I know you despise me... But this isn't about me." He started quietly. "This is about stopping the angels from destroying everything you know and love. You still have just over a year before you need to worry about me and my demons, do us all a favor and don't let Zachariah cut it short."  
  
There was a moment of silence as Dean took a deep breath, shoving his gun back into the side of his belt. Lucifer, had once again made a very good point. Though hard to believe, Dean couldn't deny the fact that for the time being, the Devil was no threat to him. If Lucifer wanted him dead, he would have been killed and dragged back to Hell years ago. "All right, where are they?" He asked.  
  
When Lucifer placed one hand on the roof of the Impala and the other on his shoulder, the world around him started to spin. In the blink of an eye, Dean went from the garage behind his house to the back of an old warehouse in town. He took a quick glance around but the Devil was nowhere in sight, he was left standing there alone by the Impala. He swallowed hard as he quickly headed towards a boarded window on the main floor, slipping inside without a sound.  
  
Cautiously, he made his way through the clutter that littered the floor, down long rows of packing crates to where he could hear the faint sound of voices. With his heart in his throat, he listened carefully as Zachariah's taunting voice drifted through the building like a cold, eerie wind. When he spotted the pair, he crouched down behind one of the many wooden crates, his stomach in knots as he surveyed the situation.  
  
Castiel was lying on the ground, a strange symbol carved into the floor around him. Though his overcoat was black, Dean could tell that his backside was wet and more than likely covered in what he could only imagine was blood. The renegade angel was gasping for breath, clutching his chest with one hand as he tried desperately to push himself up off the floor with the other. Zachariah stood over him with a sinister smile, blood dripping from the silver blade in his hand, the same silver blade Dean had given to the angel that had pulled him from Hell. "Where is he, Castiel?" Zachariah hissed, taking a moment to examen the drops of blood that were running down from the knife.  
  
Dean swore under his breath as his eyes focused on Castiel's silver dagger, there on the floor among old newspapers and garbage. Crouching down behind the crates, he quietly made his way towards it and cautiously picked it up. He swallowed hard as he rolled up his sleeve and passed the sharp blade over his flesh, drawing blood the moment it made contact. Wincing in pain, he quickly passed his fingers over the cut and started smearing his blood on the cold concrete floor in front of him; marking out the symbols Castiel had taught him to send angels back to Heaven in an instant. He took a quick glance back at the pair as Zachariah reached down to grab the renegade angel by the shirt. Quickly, he finished the symbol and sent Zachariah away with a sudden flash of light before the angel could do any more harm. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Zachariah was gone, but the moment was short lived when he got to his feet and made his way over to Castiel.  
  
"Cas..." He started, tucking the angel's silver dagger into the back of his belt and dropping to his knees as he reached him. "Cas, are you alright?" When he pulled Castiel into a sitting position he couldn't help but cringe, feeling the blood that had soaked through the renegade angel's clothes wasn't really something he had been expecting.  
  
Still gasping for breath, the angel gave him somewhat of a nod. "He doesn't know." Castiel choked, his hand still clutching his chest. "He doesn't know where you are or where you've been hiding out."  
  
Though relived to hear that Zachariah had left without the information he had come looking for, there was something unsettling about the angel he was holding onto. Castiel could barely catch his breath and the blood seeping through his clothes and down Dean's arm reminded the hunter of the first time they had met. That night, he had not only shot, but stabbed the angel and had drawn practically no blood at all. When it suddenly dawned on him, his heart jumped to his throat. "You can't heal yourself anymore, can you?" Dean asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.  
  
"Another setback... of... disobedience." Castiel replied softly.  
  
"C'mon, we need to get you out of here." Dean started, pulling the angel to his feet and looping an arm around his waist. Half dragging and half carrying the angel's weight, Dean made his way back to the lot and back to his car. After helping Castiel into the back seat of the Impala, he slid in behind the wheel, shoving the key into the ignition and putting his foot to the floor. "Just hang in there, Cas.." He said, adjusting his rearview mirror to get a clear view of the renegade angel in the seat behind him. "Just hang in there..." He repeated, feeling his own blood slowly trickle down his arm.  
  
"Hey Dean, how did you know where to find me?" Castiel asked, sinking heavily into the leather seat.  
  
There was a moment of silence and Dean turned his attention back to the dark road ahead. "Lucifer told me." He replied, his grip on the wheel tightening ever so slightly. "He told me what was going on and then he dropped me over here... I guess he's not ready for all of this to go down just yet either."  
  
"I guess not." Castiel replied quietly, a smile creeping up from the corner of his lips as he watched Dean's eyes narrow on the road ahead. "This is just like that night..." Castiel started. "That night I pulled you from the mill..."  
  
"Yeah, but this time you're the one lying in the back seat." Dean replied, trying to keep Castiel's attention. "Don't you worry though, I'll take care of you." He said, keeping to himself the fear that the angels were indeed closing in.


	13. Heaven forbid you end up alone

When Dean pulled up to the house, the very first thing he noticed was the porch light. In the country, you could hear a car tearing down the road from miles away and with the way he was pushing the Impala tonight, Michelle must have heard him coming from the moment he left the old warehouse in town. He pulled to a stop and put the shifter in park, pulling the keys from the ignition in a single swift motion. When he got out of the car and pulled the back door open, Michelle stepped out onto the porch.  
  
"Dean what happened?" She asked, watching as he pulled Castiel from the back seat and helped him make his way towards the old brick home.  
  
"A bad hunt..." Dean vaguely replied as he carefully made his way up the front steps and into the house. "Can you get me some clean towels and your medical kit?" He asked, helping the angel over to the spare bedroom and sitting him down on the bed as they reached it. "You still with me Cas?" He started, keeping the angel's attention just long enough to pull him back to his senses. "Alright, let's see what the son of a bitch did to you..." He continued, carefully removing Castiel's black over coat, blue tie and white shirt. He paused for a moment as he studied the piece of cloth between his hands; what was once a white dress shirt was now a blood stained rag shredded to pieces along the back. He tossed it to the floor as he leaned over the angel sitting on the bed in front of him, searching for the source of the blood that had soaked through his clothes. When his eyes focused on the identical gashes near Castiel's shoulder blades, his heart sank like a stone and he swore under his breath. "Cas, did he cut out your wings?" Dean asked quietly, his words catching in the back of his throat.  
  
There was a moment of silence and the renegade angel hunched over on the bed in front of him turned slightly to catch his eyes. "More or less." Castiel replied quietly. "I can live without them."  
  
"That's low." Dean growled, studying the deep gashes carefully. "I swear, even if it ends up being the very last thing I do I'm going to kill the son of a bitch. I am going to hunt him down and..."  
  
"Dean..." Castiel interrupted, cutting the other man short. "Don't talk like that, not here."  
  
When Michelle walked into the room, both looked over to catch her eyes. She passed Dean a damp cloth and watched as he carefully started cleaning the blood that covered his brother's backside. "You need to get him to the hospital." She started, her eyes focusing on the deep cuts as she set her medical kit down by the bed beside him.  
  
"I can't take him to the Hospital." Dean was quick to reply, pausing for a moment as Castiel slightly pulled away.  
  
"Dean, it doesn't look too serious but he's still going to need stitches." Michelle continued, watching as the older man winced in pain.  
  
"I'll do them myself, the bleeding's stopped now anyway." He replied, taking his jacket off and tossing it over to the foot of the bed. There was a moment of silence and Dean could have sworn he felt the mood in the room suddenly shift. When he looked back up at Michelle and her eyes met his, he knew his time as a civilian was up.  
  
"What happened to your arm?" She asked, pointing to the clean cut across the underside of his forearm.  
  
"I think it's time you let her know..." Castiel started softly, just as easily picking up on the shift between them. He closed his eyes for a moment as he felt the pain slither down from his shoulder blades, pain was still something he was just starting to get use to.  
  
"Let me know what?" Michelle asked, her voice taking a different tone as she watched Dean turn his attention from her curious eyes back to Castiel's injuries. "Why you can't take him to the Hospital? Dean, what's really going on here?"  
  
Dean let out a sigh as he tried to think of where to start, of what to say and most of all, how to say it. "Castiel isn't human..." He started quietly, watching as she made her way around to the other side of the bed so that she could face him. "He's an angel of the Lord."  
  
"Excuse me?" She replied, her eyes shifting from Dean to the man that was sitting on the bed in front of him, the man he had told her was an older brother. "I thought you said you were half brothers, that you had the same..."  
  
"Father?" Castiel interrupted, silencing the young woman. "I was talking about our father, the Lord."  
  
There was a moment of silence as she shook her head, her eyes drifting away from the pair in front of her. "There's no such thing as angels." She replied, unable to believe what she had just heard. "My father, my brother, they told me about many things they've seen, but never angels."  
  
"Michelle..." Dean cut in, looking up to catch her eyes. "I didn't believe either but a few years ago, I made a deal to save my brother Sam and I was dragged to Hell... Castiel pulled me from the pit, that hand print burned into my shoulder is his, he raised me from the dead." Dean paused for a moment as he watched her pass a hand through her hair. "There is such a thing as angels, and this is one of them."  
  
There was another moment of silence as Michelle looked from one man to the other, at a loss of words, she leaned back against the wall behind her. Castiel swallowed hard as he watched her wrap a hand around the silver cross that was hanging around her neck. "Come here." He said softly, putting his left hand out towards her. She hesitated for a moment but took a step forward to put her hand into his. With his right hand, he reached across his chest and pressed Dean's hand down onto his shoulder, holding it there for a moment as he closed his hand around Michelle's.  
  
In the blink of an eye, a lifetime had played out like a movie inside her head, pulled from Dean by an angel, and passed over to her in a matter of only seconds. Everything from Dean loosing his mother and then his father, to his deal to save Sam and his time spent in Hell. In a heartbeat, he was back in his own skin, pushed around and manipulated by angels while Sam took his own fall with the demons. Their fate was almost too much to bear as she learned of the circumstances behind the night they met at the Hospital and about the night Lucifer walked free. Castiel was wanted and Dean was being hunted, they had made a deal with the Devil and their time was almost up.  
  
Overwhelmed when she learned of the looming Apocalypse, who was responsible for it and that the fate of mankind was resting on one man and his army of renegade angels, she pulled her hand away from Castiel's grip, taking a step back and looking up to catch Dean's eyes. "You lied to me." She started, her voice laced with emotion and doubt. "You said you were done hunting... the last thing I wanted was to raise a child to this, this life if you call it that."  
  
"Michelle..." Dean started, watching as she wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I didn't lie to you."  
  
"But you didn't tell me the whole truth either." She curtly replied, shaking her head. "I don't want our daughter to grow up like I did. Worrying about her father and what he's doing while he's out on the road killing these monsters and demons and things... And I certainly don't want her to grow up the way you did either." She paused for a moment as she swallowed hard, having seen Dean's life played out to her in a matter of only seconds had taken her on an emotional roller coaster. "I don't want her to grow up following in your footsteps, thinking it's her responsibility..."  
  
"She's not going to." Dean replied softly, setting the blood soaked towel on the bedside table as he turned to face her.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Michelle asked, doing her best not to break into tears as her mind started to race. "I saw it in you." She paused for a moment as she swallowed the lump caught in her throat, her eyes focusing on the handle of the large silver dagger tucked into the side of his belt before drifting back up to catch his gaze. "It's in your blood and I'm sure it'll be in hers..."  
  
"It doesn't have to be." Dean replied, wiping his bloody hands onto his worn jeans. "This is all I know and all I've ever done. You can't compare my life to the one she's going to have growing up. She has a good home, a great mom who loves her to death and a dad who'll do everything he can not to have her turn out like he did... Samantha won't be a hunter."  
  
"But she's still going to grow up worrying about you when you're out on the road." Michelle was quick to reply. "My brother once told me that a hunter was a hunter till the day he died, if he doesn't get killed first. You won't be here much longer, because no matter what, you're life's out there... not here, you can't lie to yourself forever."  
  
There was a moment of silence and Dean couldn't help but look away. He knew Michelle was right and knew that what she had seen tonight had been a slap in the face. He couldn't blame her for being upset, for being angry with him even, he knew how important it was to her not to have a child raised to the life of a hunter. "This isn't how I wanted you to find out."  
  
"I want you to go." She said softly, her voice pulling his eyes back to hers. "I need some time to think..."  
  
"Michelle..."  
  
"Please, just go Dean..." She replied quietly, pointing him towards the door. "I'll take care of Cas... Just go."  
  
Dean gave her a nod as he grabbed his jacket and made his way towards the door, pausing as he reached it to take a glance at Castiel. "I'll be back in the morning." He said simply as he stepped out into the hall, careful not to let the tear roll down his cheek until he was out the front door. He let out a heavy sigh as he made his way down the front steps and walked over to the Impala, looking back towards the house before pulling the door open and sliding in behind the wheel. His eyes drifted over to the picture he had wedged between the radio and the dash panel, a family picture that reminded him of what he was living for. He swallowed hard as he shoved the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life; she needed time for all of it to sink in and he needed time to clear his head... His life had finally caught up to him.

* * *

She closed her eyes as the sound of the Impala started to grow distant in the night, echoing down the road and fields until it was gone.  
  
"I'm sorry." Castiel started, pulling her back from her scattered fears and thoughts. "I know all this is hard for you to understand, overwhelming perhaps."  
  
She shook her head as she made her way to his side, pausing for a moment before picking up the towel and continuing to clean up the blood. "Everything I thought I knew." She started, quietly. "I had no idea."  
  
"Most people don't." Castiel replied, wincing as she passed the cloth over the deep cuts. "Even most of the hunters don't know about the angels and their orders, about those of us who have chosen to fall in an attempt to save mankind."  
  
"Tell me, where's God in all of this?" She asked, grabbing her medical kit from the bed at his side.  
  
Castiel watched as she dug around her things, pulling out a bottle of antiseptic, a needle and some thread. "I'm not sure, Michelle." He started, swearing under his breath as she disinfected the wounds. "There are rumors that he is here among you, and that he has been since the beginning..."  
  
"That's not what you think, is it?" She asked, threading the needle and carefully starting to place what would be the first of many stitches.  
  
"I don't know what to think anymore." Castiel quietly admitted. "But what I do know, is that what is going on right now, needs to be stopped." He paused for a moment as he looked over his shoulder to catch her eyes. "Don't be angry with him for not letting you know sooner, he was trying to protect you. You mean the world to Dean, know that he will always love you and do everything he can to keep you and little Samantha safe, no matter what."  
  
Michelle gave him a nod as she continued to carefully stitch close the deep cuts. "I know that." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I knew he was hunter when we met at the hospital... I knew this was his life, it was just foolish of me to think that..."  
  
"It wasn't foolish of you." Castiel cut in, his voice silencing her. "I'm the one who asked for you to take him in, to keep him safe and show him peace, sanctuary." He paused for a moment as he took a deep breath. "Dean's just different. For a while, even I couldn't understand him... everything he does, he does for someone else." Castiel winced in pain as she lightly pulled on the thread to tighten a knot.  
  
"So you think he can really do it?" Michelle asked quietly, pulling a pair of scissors from her kit to cut the thread. "You think Dean can stop all of this?"  
  
"I know that no one else can." Castiel replied calmly, crossing his hands in his lap. "And that Dean will fight till the end trying."


	14. Run and tell all of the angels

He swallowed hard as he looked up at the empty lot in front of him, the lot where an old mill once stood before it was ravaged by both fire and time. The full moon high above cast an eerie silver light on the scene in front of him, reminding him of the very first time he'd step foot there almost four years ago to the day. Now all that was left of the mill was the foundation's cement slab, one crumbling brick wall and scattered, charred wooden beams. He'd been back many times since his brother's death, but going back never seemed to ease the pain. It was almost bittersweet; the only place he now felt the closest to his little brother, was the one place he wish he could forget. When his eyes focused on the large steel boiler that was still sticking out of the ruble, he could have sworn he heard that last shotgun blast echo through the night.  
  
"I'm not sure what to do..." Dean said quietly as he leaned back against the front fender of his car. "Michelle's upset and I don't blame her... I was a dick not to tell her about all of this, but damn it Sammy, what was I supposed to do?" He paused for a moment as his eyes drifted down to the charred wooden cross and the pile of scorched bricks that were holding it up; a grave marker Castiel had put together for the life that had been lost. "Zachariah's getting closer and my deal with Lucifer is almost up." He continued, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I didn't want Michelle to know about all of this and I don't want little Sammie to have the life you and I did..." He paused again as a proud smile suddenly crept up from the corner of his lips. "I wish you could see her, she's so gorgeous she can even make Cas smile." When a soft breeze picked up the dead leaves that had gathered on the ground by his feet, he let out a sigh, his eyes looking up to the endless starry sky above. "Shouldn't you be taking it easy?" He asked, without looking over.  
  
"I needed to talk to you." Castiel replied simply, carefully making his way over to the front of the Impala.  
  
"It couldn't wait till the morning?" Dean asked quietly. "You know Michelle's going to kill you if you pull any of those stitches out..."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Castiel started quietly as he leaned against the car next to the other man. "But it couldn't' wait until then."  
  
Though Dean glanced over for only a moment, he had to take a second look at the renegade angel that had joined him in the night. Castiel was no longer wearing the black suit, white button down shirt and blue tie he had come accustom to. Instead, the angel was sporting a pair of dark jeans, a light blue T-shirt and a black leather jacket. "Whoa, look at you..." Dean started with a smile as he turned slightly to eye the rogue angel next to him.  
  
Castiel looked down at himself before looking back up at Dean. "They were her brother's... mine were torn and covered in blood." He explained, tugging at the bottom of his newly acquired leather jacket. "Michelle says that blue brings out the color in my eyes..."  
  
Dean cleared his throat as he turned to face the angel at his side. "All right, here are few more tips for you to remember, Cas." He started as a grin slowly crossed his face. "Number one; you can lie to a man but NEVER to a woman. When she finds out the truth, which she eventually will, she'll be pissed. And number two; no matter what, she's always right and the blue does bring out the color in your eyes."  
  
There was a moment of silence as Castiel returned the smile. "That sounded a lot better coming from her." He remarked.  
  
Dean couldn't help but shake his head. "Yeah I bet it did." He replied, letting his eyes once again drift down to the grave marker in front of them. "So Cas, what did you come out here to tell me?"  
  
"I know how to stop Zachariah." The angel started, pausing for a moment as Dean's head snapped over to catch his eyes. "When Zachariah had me in that trap at the warehouse, it occurred to me... Only you can stop it, but only an angel can kill another angel."  
  
"Yeah we already knew that, Cas." Dean replied, his tone unimpressed . "What's your plan?"  
  
There was another short moment of silence as Castiel tried to think of where to start. He knew Dean wouldn't like his idea but also knew that they were starting to get desperate and in four years, this truly was the best he'd been able to come up with. "You and I have been through a lot together." He started softly, his eyes also falling on the cross in front of them. "We've fought alongside each other for years, together we are strong..."  
  
"I'm not really in the mood for an inspirational, heart felt speech... just get to the point, Cas." Dean cut in, watching as the angel pushed himself off the front of the Impala.  
  
"This vessel is..."  
  
"Jimmy." Dean interrupted. When he caught the angel's blank expression, he cleared his throat. "He wasn't just a vessel, he was a person and his name was Jimmy." Dean calmly explained.  
  
"Right, well Jimmy was just a civilian." Castiel continued as he started to pace. "He was a good man but just an ordinary guy. Dean, you are a soldier. You've been conditioned a fighter, your instincts are sharp and your skills are cunning... you've dealt with demons your entire life and you've been to Hell. It's in your blood as it is in mine, you are a warrior..."  
  
"What are you saying?" Dean asked, eyeing the angel as if it were the very first time they had met. When Castiel came to a stop in front of him and looked over to catch his eyes, Dean couldn't help but swear under his breath, he knew exactly where this was going.  
  
"I'm saying we should combine what we have and go after Zachariah as one." Castiel replied, breaking the awkward moment of silence between them. "With you as my vessel, we might be strong enough to stop this..."  
  
"I'm not a vessel, Cas..." The young hunter bluntly replied.  
  
"Think about it, Dean." Castiel cut in. "Only you can stop the Apocalypse but only an angel can kill another angel. Dean, that seal I burned into your chest keeps you hidden from them... If I was walking around in your skin, Zachariah wouldn't know, he wouldn't even see it coming."  
  
There was a moment of silence as Dean's eyes once again drifted over to the burnt out mill in front of them. "I hate to say it, but you do make a damn good point." He replied quietly, thinking of the events earlier that night and at how he had managed to sneak into the warehouse and cast the angel away without being discovered... Just as Lucifer had told him.  
  
"Walking around in this ves... in Jimmy, is like walking around blind." Castiel explained. "He's not a fighter, he doesn't have what it takes to keep up with me, but you do, and together I think we can beat this."  
  
Dean swallowed hard as he reluctantly gave the angel a nod. "What would I have to do?" He asked, knowing that their time was running out and that Castiel's plan was the best one yet.  
  
"Just give me your permission." Castiel replied quietly. "A demon can jump into whomever they want, when they want... But an angel must have their host's permission."  
  
"And what happens to me, while you're walking around in my skin?" Dean asked, reaching into the back of his belt to pull out Castiel's silver dagger. He held it in his hands for a moment before passing to the angel in front of him.  
  
"You will remain awake and conscious, but I will have all control over your body." Castiel replied, watching as Dean's eyes drifted away from his gaze. "I know I'm asking a lot of you." He said quietly, taking his weapon with care and tucking it back into the side of his belt. "You've already been through enough tonight, you can sleep on it and give me an answer in the morning."  
  
Dean shook his head as he passed a hand over his face. "I tried to put hunting behind me but Michelle is right; a hunter is a hunter till the day he dies." He paused for a moment as he watched Castiel once again lean up against the car beside him. Castiel had been there for him through thick and thin, and having spent so much time together, the renegade angel had finally started to learn the emotions that mankind was born with. Though his facial expression and body language still painting him as a cold and sometimes calloused man, that wasn't the case, deep down inside, he now understood compassion. "No matter how hard I try, I can't lie to myself... I can't deny who am I."  
  
"Dean, because of who you are," Castiel quietly started. "Countless lives have been saved and many more will be spared." He paused for only a moment as he caught the eyes of the young hunter to his right. "I didn't ask you to deny who you are. I asked you to step back for a while because it was in your best interest, and you did. But now the time has come and you are needed on the front lines... I need you to be a hunter again."  
  
"What about Michelle and Samantha?" Dean asked, swallowing hard as he thought of his little family. "Doesn't my little girl deserve a father who's there for her?"  
  
"You'll always be there for her, Dean." Castiel replied as he placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "No matter where you are, or what you are doing." As he watched the young hunter's eyes fall to the ground by his feet, he couldn't help but let out a sigh, he knew exactly what was scrolling through the other man's head. "You're not your father, Dean." Castiel started quietly, his words almost lost in the silence between them.  
  
Dean took a deep breath as he let the angel's words drown out his thoughts. Castiel was right, he wasn't his father and never would he let hunting come before his family. Though he had at times sympathized with the man he considered a mentor, he understood what really mattered in life. Now they only had about a year to prepare for a battle with Lucifer & his demons and before then, they would have to put a stop to the looming Apocalypse and the angel that was orchestrating it all. Just the thought of his little girl not having a future, should they fail to stop Zachariah, made his heart sink like a stone. "I'll do it." He quietly started, looking over once again to catch the renegade angel's eyes. "I'll let you walk around in my skin, if you think that's what it'll take to stop all of this." He paused for a moment as Castiel gave him a nod. "But I want to go say goodbye before I jump back into the life..."  
  
"Of course." Castiel replied, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. He watched as the other man's eyes wandered back towards the burnt out mill, knowing that leaving Michelle and Samantha behind was going to be hard on him, but also knowing that doing so, would be in their best interest. The angels were closing in and with Zachariah on their heels, the last thing he wanted to do was link his presence, to their quiet country home. "Will you ask her?" Castiel said quietly, pulling Dean's eyes away from the ruble in front of them. "Before we go?"  
  
Dean caught the angel's eyes for only a moment before turning his attention back to the pile of broken memories. "I can't, Cas." He started, sucking in a ragged breath. "I can't ask her to be with someone who's not really there." He paused for a moment as the words caught in the back of his throat. "I'll still give her the ring, but I can't ask her to be my wife."  
  
Castiel turned his attention away from the young hunter as Dean passed a hand over his face. Watching the other man cry was just something the angel couldn't bare. "I think you should get some sleep." He said quietly, his eyes drifting off towards the dark woods around them. "We have a big day tomorrow..."  
  
"What about you?" Dean asked as he straightened out and started to make his way over to the driver's door of his car. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I'll tell our fallen army that we finally have a plan." Castiel replied, catching Dean's eyes as the other man pulled the door open. "I'll be here when you awake in the morning." Dean gave him a nod as he crawled into the car and shut the door. Castiel watched as the other man stretched out across the front seat, making himself as comfortable as he could before shutting his eyes. How Dean could even get an hour's worth of sleep on the leather bench seats of his car was truly beyond him. He took a deep breath as he pushed himself off the front fender of the Impala and slowly made his way over to Sam's grave marker. "Anna..." He said softly, looking up to the debris that littered the woods in front of him. "Anna I need to speak with you." When a soft breeze passed over his face, he turned slightly to catch her eyes.  
  
"Your clothes, you've changed..." She remarked with a smile as she studied him carefully. "Your shirt really brings out the color in your eyes..."  
  
Castiel couldn't help but grin. "Thanks." He replied softly.  
  
"You wanted to see me?" She asked, taking a moment to acknowledge the scorched cross a few feet away.  
  
"Gather our army." Castiel started, his voice filled with confidence as his eyes drifted over to the Impala parked nearby. "We're ready to take on Zachariah."


	15. The hardest thing and the right thing are the same

When the Impala pulled into the long driveway and up to the house, Michelle was waiting. Just seeing her sitting there on the front porch's banister, the morning sun warm on her face, made Dean's heart hit the bottom of his stomach. "What am I supposed to tell her?" He asked, not really wanting an answer as he put the car in park and shut the ignition. He looked over as Castiel reached into the glove box to pull out the small square silver box, handling it with care as he passed it to him.

"What ever is in your heart." The angel replied simply as he offered a reassuring smile. "You can't screw this up, I mean it's not like you're proposing to her."

Dean couldn't help but grin as he took the box from Castiel's hands. "True." He said as they stepped out of the car. He tucked the silver box into his coat pocket as they made their way up to the house, both doing what they could not to catch the woman's eyes as they approached. When she met them by the front steps, Dean was the first to look up. "You're not going to work this morning?" He asked casually as he joined her on the porch.

"I called in sick." Michelle replied simply. "Didn't get much sleep last night." There was an awkward moment of silence as both tried to think of what to say first. "Dean, I'm sorry about last night, I just needed some time." She explained, nervously shifting her weight.

"It's alright." Dean replied quietly, catching her eyes. "I don't blame you."

"If you'll excuse me." Castiel started as he made his way up the steps, giving Dean a pat on the back as he passed. "I'm going to check in on my little one."

"She's in the living room, watching tv." Michelle replied, watching as Castiel made his way to the front door and let himself in. "So an angel, huh?" She asked, turning her attention back to Dean as she sat down on the front steps. "That does explain quite a few things." She remarked, watching as the other man joined her. "Like his total lack of humor and human emotion."

"He's come a long way." Dean replied with somewhat of a smirk, thinking of how long it took for Castiel to learn what humor and emotion were. "You should have seen him when he first touched down." There was another long pause and Dean couldn't help but swallow hard as he turned his attention away from his Impala parked nearby. "Michelle, I just want you to know that this isn't what I wanted for us."

"I know." She replied softly. "But I understand why you have to go." She paused for a moment as she took a deep breath. "Dean, this is what you do and if what your _brother_ says is true, you're pretty damn good at it. It would be selfish of me to keep you here when mankind is counting on you."

Dean offered a solemn smile as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the small box, turning it in his hands for a moment before facing the woman at his side. Love was something that seemed to always drift in and out of his life, there just long enough to renew hope but gone just as fast. A broken heart was nothing compared to what he put himself through, thinking about a life that was always going to be just out of his reach. His life was on the road, keeping those around him at arms length in order to keep them safe, his life was that of a hunter, being elusive at best not to leave a widow behind when his number was called and his time was up. "I can't ask you to marry me." He started quietly as he popped the small box open and held it out for her to see. "But I want you to know that you mean the world to me, and that I'm glad Sammie's got a mom like you to look after her."

Words failed her as he took her right hand and placed the ring on her middle finger. When she leaned in for a kiss, Dean couldn't help but think of just how close he'd come to having a normal life, at least for a little while. "I love you, Dean and I'm really going to miss not having you around." She blurted as she threw her arms around his neck, holding him to her for a moment before pulling away. "Whatever happens, just know that I'll always love you."

"Hope we're not interrupting..." Castiel started. He stepped out onto the porch with Samantha trailing him closely, holding onto the bottom of his leather jacket as he walked.

When Dean looked over, a smile crossed his face. "Hey sweatheart." He said as he put his arms out and watched his daughter run into his hug. "I got you something special too..." He started, reaching up as Castiel passed him another small box. When he handed it to her, she looked up to catch his eyes. "Well go ahead and open it."

She paused for a moment to study the small box and then pulled the lid open to reveal a silver cross on a chain. "Thank you, daddy" She said with excitement as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Here, let me put it on for you." Dean replied as he pulled the chain out and motioned for her to turn around. Castiel reached down to hold her long hair up out of the way as he watched the young hunter clasp the chain around the little girl's neck. "This is for you to remember, that no matter what... Your daddy and your godfather love you very much." He paused for a moment as he felt his words start catch in the back of his throat. "You be a good girl and take care of your mom while I'm not around. Can you do that for me?" He paused again as he swallowed hard, watching his daughter give him a simple nod. "Come here give me a kiss."

When Samantha leaned in to plant a kiss on Dean's cheek, Castiel couldn't help but let out a sigh. The sight truly was heartbreaking but he knew it was for the best. "We should head out." He started quietly, watching as the little girl turned from her father to him.

Dean gave the renegade angel a nod as he got to his feet, doing what he could not to let his eyes tear up as he watched his daughter cling onto Castiel's leg. "Be good, child." The angel told her as he reached down to place a hand against her back.

With a heavy sigh, the pair started to make their way down the front steps towards the Impala, leaving Michelle and Samantha on the front porch of their quiet country home. "You boys be careful..." Michelle started, watching as both turned slightly to catch her eyes. "The door's always open and the light's always going to be on should you need a place to rest for a while." She continued, doing what she could to keep her voice from wavering. "Don't be strangers..."

"We won't." Dean replied as he offered her a smile. "I promise you we wont." He said as he slid in behind the wheel and started the engine. He swallowed hard as he put the car in drive and slowly started to pull away from what had been his life for the past four years. "Yeah, that wasn't hard." He muttered, sarcasm biting at his words as they pulled out onto the main road.

"It was for the best." Castiel simply replied, keeping his eyes on the road ahead instead of the one behind them. "When things quiet down, we'll go back to gather the rest of your things... But until then, leaving is safer for you both."

"So where are we heading first?" Dean asked, sucking in a breath as he glanced over to the angel in the passenger seat.

"To Bobby's house." Castiel replied. "Chuck should know where we can find Zachariah."

"What exactly are we going to do, when we do find him?" Dean started, trying to piece together some sort of plan. "I mean, he's looking for me and now we know that he's out there looking for you, so that he can find me." Dean paused for a moment as he thought about what he had just said. "Wow, this story keeps getting more complicating as we go..."

"Zachariah can't see you, that's why he came after me." Castiel replied, pausing for a moment as he thought of his last encounter with his former superior and how it had literally, cost him his wings. Even the slightest movement sent a shiver of pain down his backside as the stitches rubbed against the fabric of his shirt. "Anna is gathering our army, our renegades will take on the angels while you and I ambush Zachariah, we'll catch him by surprise. Without a leader, the angels who followed him will have to choose a side."

"So this is really do or die, huh?" Dean replied, trying to picture how such a war could be fought. When his cell phone rang, he couldn't help but swear under his breath. The only other person that would call him on a regular basis was sitting in the car beside him. That meant that either Bobby or Chuck was on the other line and a call from either was never really good news. He fished the phone out of his pocket with one hand as he kept the other on the steering wheel. "Yeah?"

_"Hey Dean, where are you?"_ Chuck was quick to ask.

"Why?" Dean replied, reluctant to give away his location when he was anywhere near Michelle's place.

_"Cause I need to know."_ Chuck was quick to reply. _"Are you out of Scythe yet?"_ He continued.

"Why, Chuck." Dean repeated. Though the prophet had come in handy many times, having someone else know everything about your life was one thing Dean couldn't help but see as somewhat of a curse.

_"Because Zachariah and his angels are closing in on Cas."_ Chuck quickly stated. _"You two need to split up, before they use him, to get to you..."_

"What do you mean they're closing in on Cas?" Dean asked, his tone of voice pulling the angel's eyes away from the road ahead of them.

_"They can't find you, but they can find him and they're getting closer."_ Chuck replied. _"If..."_

"Yeah thanks for the heads up, but you're a little late." Dean cut in. "I think it's safer if we stay together, Cas is still hurt."

_"Dean, if you're there with him; which is what they're counting on, then they're going to find you too..."_

"Zachariah already got his hands on Cas once... I'm not going to let it happen again." The young hunter growled.

_"Dean... You need to split up."_ Chuck replied, his tone of voice gripping. _"Before they narrow down their search."_

There was a moment of silence and he let out a sigh. "All right, thanks for the heads up." Dean replied as he flipped his phone shut and swore under his breath. "We've got a problem, Cas..." He started, looking over to catch the eyes of the renegade angel at his side. "The angels have apparently picked up your trail again, Chuck thinks we should spit up."

"I'm sorry, Dean." The angel quietly replied, watching as the man behind the wheel looked over for only a moment. "I thought we'd have more time but desperate times, call for desperate measures, right?"

"What are you talking about, Cas?" Dean was quick to reply.

When Castiel reached over to place a hand on Dean's shoulder, he literally took the wheel.


	16. It was my destiny, it's what we needed to do

When the Impala pulled up to the house, Bobby couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "He's here." He called out to Chuck as he made his way towards the front door. When he pulled it open, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he watched the young hunter step out of his car. "The driveway's pretty big, did you have to park so close to the house?" He asked, as _Dean_ carefully squeezed by between the front fender of his car and the front steps of the house.

_Dean_ stepped up onto the front porch and paused for a moment to look down at the Impala. "I can move it over, if you'd like." He replied simply.

"Naw that's fine..." Bobby said as he reached out to pull the young hunter into a hug. "It's good to see ya, boy." He started, finding it a bit odd that the other man had barely returned his hug. "Did you stop along the way?" Bobby continued as he started to make his way towards the front door. "Doesn't usually take ya two hours to come down from Scythe..."

_Dean_ passed a hand down the back of his neck as he followed the veteran hunter into his house. "There was a lot of traffic." He explained.

"Right..." Bobby said as he made his way to the living room, _Dean_ following him closely. "So how did she handle it when you told her you'd have to skip out for a little while?" He asked, watching as the other man walked over to the table in the middle of the room.

"As well as she could." _Dean_ quietly replied. "All things considered, now she just needs a bit of time."

"Well, saying good bye to family is never easy... Especially not when you drop a bomb like you did before taking off. Give her the time, she'll come back around to ya." Bobby replied, watching as _Dean_ eyed the many books that were open on the table in front of him. "Have a seat boy, I'll be right back."

_Dean_ took a moment to study the pile of old books that were open in front of him. Angelology, Demonology, Mythology, Theology and everything in between; Bobby and Chuck's research was literally all over the map. He flipped through the pages of one book and then pushed it aside, pausing as his eyes caught the ancient words that covered the pages of another. He couldn't help but swallow hard as he carefully closed the Bible that had been open on the table in front of him. The Book of Revelations was something he didn't really want to think about at the moment. When Chuck walked into the room, he turned slightly to face the other man. "Hello, Chuck."

"Dean, I'm glad you made it." Chuck started as he made his way over to the table. "I've got to admit, I was a little worried when I heard that the angels were still roaming around Scythe."

"Why are they over there?" _Dean_ asked.

"I really wish I knew." Chuck was quick to reply, taking a nervous look around the living room before turning his attention back to the hunter standing in front of him. "So where was Cas headed when you two split up?"

"We didn't split up." _Dean_ replied, catching the prophet's eyes.

"Then where is he?" Chuck asked, taking another glance around.

"He's around." _Dean_ vaguely replied as Bobby walked back into the room.

Chuck reached out as Bobby passed him a beer and then watched as the older man passed one to _Dean_. When it was refused, much to Bobby's surprise, Chuck couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Oh now, that's clever." He started, passing a hand over his face as he eyed the other man carefully. "Who's bright idea was this?" He continued.

"It was mine." Castiel replied with somewhat of a smirk. "Now I'm hidden from Zachariah as well."

There was a moment of silence as Bobby took the time to analyze everything that was wrong with the man standing only a few feet in front of him. When it finally dawned on him, he couldn't help but swear under his breath, wondering how on earth he could have missed it in the first place. "What in the world did you do with Dean?" He asked, taking a sip of his beer.

"He's still in here." Castiel replied, passing a hand across his chest as he looked down at his new vessel. "He's quite livid with me, but he's otherwise fine."

"Yeah I bet he is." Bobby chuckled, watching as the renegade angel walked over to the sofa. Now that he knew the man in front of him wasn't Dean, even the way he walked and stood seemed different. "So did you just like, jump him or what?"

"Dean has a few choice words for you..." Castiel said quietly as he placed his hands in his lap. "But I'll spare you the barrage." He continued with somewhat of a grin. "Dean gave me his consent to walk around in his skin."

"What about Jimmy?" Bobby asked. "What did you do with him?"

"He's also in here with me." Castiel quietly replied. "Somewhere"

"If you two keep throwing curve balls, this story's never going to end." Chuck started as he took a sip of his beer.

"Isn't that the point?" Castiel replied, looking up to catch the prophet's eyes.

"Yeah, but what I see is supposed to be the written word." Chuck continued. "I'm not saying that I agree with what I've seen, but is this really something you want to be messing around with? We're taking about the word of God, here..."

"It may have been his word at one point in time." Castiel quietly started as he took a deep breath. "But as far as I'm concerned, it no longer is..." Saying it hurt, but he knew he was right; his father would have never put together such a sinister plan. "You might have seen what was to come, but until it comes to pass, I will do everything in my power to make sure the outcome is in your favor. I'm going to stop this... Dean and I, are going to stop this."

"So what is your plan?" Bobby asked as he leaned back against the table behind him. "How are you going to kill Zachariah and stop his army of angels..."

"Anna is gathering our army of renegades." Castiel explained, looking up to catch the veteran hunter's eyes. "We're going to find Zachariah and ambush him, if we can catch him by surprise we'd have the upper hand. Which is why we came here, to find out where he will be and when."

"You want to ambush Zachariah?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow as his eyes drifted over to the prophet nearby. "I hate to say it, but I really don't think that's going to..."

"Do you have a better idea?" Castiel cut in, waiting for an answer from either men at the table. "With Dean as my vessel I think we at least stand a chance; not only am I stronger like this, I'm undetectable."

"What about Lucifer?" Bobby replied, pausing for a moment as he watched Dean's eyes drift over to the open books on the table behind him. "I mean, if you do kill Zachariah and put an end to the Apocalypse before he gets its started, that's great and all... But when your deal with Lucifer is up, he's not going to think twice about raising his minions and coming after you. All Hell will..."

"One thing at a time..." Castiel interrupted, silencing the other man. "We'll worry about Lucifer and his legion after we put an end to the looming Apocalypse." There was a moment of silence as his gaze drifted over to the prophet. "I need to know where Zachariah is."

Chuck set his beer down as he reached through the pile of books, grabbing a sheet of paper from the table in front of him. "I'm not sure, but in a week, he'll be back at that warehouse, in Scythe." He started, reaching out to pass the sheet to the angel in front of him.

"Why will he be there?" Castiel asked, scanning the sheet of paper in his hands.

"Because that's where he thinks you'll be." Chuck quietly replied. "I haven't seen any further than that, but I know that they've changed their angle; it's easier for them to find you than it is to find Dean."

"That's what they think..." Castiel replied, a smirk creeping up from the corner of his lips as he adjusted his well worn leather jacket.

There was a moment of silence as Chuck watched Dean pass a hand over the back of his left shoulder, the discomfort and pain more than obvious on his face. "Hey Cas, I'm sorry I didn't know about last night." He quietly started, taking a deep breath. "There are a lot pieces to the story missing, alot of it I see as it happens and some of it is just so vague that I don't know what to make of it until it's too late. I had no idea Zachariah was going to lure you to that warehouse, I didn't know that..."

"It's not your fault." The renegade angel quietly replied, looking up to catch the prophet's eyes. "We're not the only ones throwing curve balls."

"Still." Chuck continued, shaking his head. "Even if the written word needs to be taken with a grain of salt, it's not..."

"A grain? You mean a fuckin' truckload of salt." Dean growled, reaching over to grab his beer from the table in front of him. "I don't give a crap about your premonitions or prophecies or whatever you want to call it; because this story... We're writing as we go, this is OUR story."

There was a moment of silence as Chuck watched the other man take a sip of his beer. "Welcome back, Dean." He said with somewhat of a smile. "So, are you and Castiel going to be fighting over the controls for the next week or what?"

"You've got to be kidding me, a week?" Dean barked, placing the paper he had been holding back on the table in front of him.

"Don't worry, It'll go by faster than you think." Chuck offered.

"I don't care, if Cas is going to be squatting for a week, I should charge him rent." When Bobby let out a chuckle, Dean's eyes narrowed. "It's not funny, Bobby" He growled, looking over to catch the other man's eyes.

"Oh come on, it is a little." Bobby replied with a grin. "I mean, you, of all people have an angel riding your ass."

"He's not riding my ass, he's riding shotgun and we're going to keep it that way." Dean was quick to reply. "When the time comes, he can take the wheel, but until then, it's my skin and my rules." He paused for a moment as he took another sip of his beer. "Ugh, it's like everything I think of is either wrong or immoral."

Bobby gave him a nod as he tried to keep a straight face. "Yeah, just you thinking must be pretty brutal for an angel." When Dean once again looked over to catch his eyes, Bobby instantly silenced. "Sorry, but the two of you mix like water and oil."

"That's not true, we're not that different." Dean said, passing a hand over his collarbone and over the symbol Castiel had scorched into his flesh to hide him from the angels.

"Naw, I guess you're not." Bobby replied. "Both of you do have one thing in common... You gave up everything, for someone else." Dean gave him a nod as he got to his feet and fished his car keys out of his pocket. "Where you going? You just got here?" Bobby asked, watching as the young hunter set his beer bottle down on the table between him and Chuck.

"To park my car." Dean said, making his way towards the door. "For someone as complex as angel, you'd think he'd be able to wrap his head around the concept of parking a car..."


	17. This could be the end of me and everything I know

In the blink of an eye, the week had disappeared and once again Dean found himself deep in the woods on the outskirts of Scythe. The night was dark and dreary; with the moon and stars lost among the low overhang of clouds, the headlights of his car were his only source of light. "So this is it, Sammy..." He quietly started as he leaned back against the front grill of the Impala. He shoved his free hand into his pocket as he clutched his beer bottle with the other and took a sip. "I called Michelle and Samantha one last time, just to tell them I love'em both... you know, in case I don't get to see them again." He paused for a moment as his words caught in the back of his throat, a bitter wind reminding him of the first time he stood there in that lot.

When his eyes drifted down to the charred cross in front of him, he couldn't help but wipe the tears from his eyes. "I miss ya Sammy. I wish I could go back to that night and change things, but I can't..." He paused again as he took another sip of his beer and then reached out to tip the bottle, letting some of the liquid spill down onto the pile of scorched bricks that were marking his younger brother's grave. "So I just want you to know that what I do tonight, I'm doing for both of us... I'm going to finish what we started."

"Well that was rather, stirring." Zachariah interrupted, catching the other man by surprised as he walked around to the front of the car.

Dean's heart jumped to his throat as he took a step away from the Impala, his eyes focusing on the angel that had suddenly appeared at his side. There was still an hour before he was to meet up with Anna and the renegades, still an hour before they would descend upon the warehouse in Scythe to ambush Zachariah and his angels. "What do you want?" He asked, his words barely coming together as he watched Castiel's plan to catch Zachariah by surprise unravel right before his eyes.

"What do you think I think I want?" Zachariah replied with malice as he eyed the young hunter carefully. "Chuck might have had me chasing shadows for a while, but play time is over boy and now you're coming with me."

Dean took a step back as the angel took one forward, the headlights of his car casting their shadows against the lone scorched brick wall of the burnt out mill behind them. "How did you know where to find me..." He asked, letting his bottle of beer fall to the ground at his feet.

"Oh please." Zachariah cut in, his slight chuckle echoing eerily in the woods. "You might be hidden from the angels but your wing-man certainly isn't... Oh wait, I guess that's wingless-man now." He said with a grin. "Did you honestly think that I wouldn't find out about his absurd plan to ambush me at the warehouse in Scythe? I'm the one that gave Chuck a setting for it to all go down... you might have thought you had the upper hand, but you don't."

"You son of a bitch." Dean hissed, his anger slowly starting to overcome his fear. "What you did to Cas was low..."

"What I did was low?" Zachariah replied with somewhat of a smirk. "He burned a concealment seal into your chest to hide you from the angels, that's low... Did you really think that would be enough to keep you out of sight?"

"It's worked great so far." Dean was quick to reply, doing what he could to stop his heart from racing. His left hand trailed the hood of the Impala as he took another step back, his eyes never leaving those of the angel in front of him.

"Dean, the problem with you, is that you're predictable." Zachariah started, taking another step towards the young hunter. "That's how I was able to find you."

"What are you talking about?" Dean growled, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Whenever something big is about to go down, you need to come out here and talk to your memories in a desperate, pathetic, attempt to get approval from someone that's no longer here." Zachariah started, pausing for a moment as he watched Dean's hands clench into fists. "Look around you, boy, there's nothing out here and there's no one listening." He said, first pointing down to the charred cross behind him and then up to the burnt out mill. "It's actually sort of sad if you ask me."

Dean couldn't help but swallow hard as one hand reached around to the silver dagger that was tucked into the back of his belt. "You want to know what I think is sort of sad?" He started, his tone of voice low. "The fact that some of your angels would rather take my side over yours, that's sad... I mean, you're an angel, pretty high up in the ranks by the looks of it, and they've chosen to follow me into war, instead of you. That's gotta sting a little, doesn't it?" He asked, keeping his stand as Zachariah took another step forward "That tells me one of two things; you're either one poor excuse of a leader or they don't believe in you, they don't agree."

"It's not about whether they agree with me or not." The angel hissed. "Orders are orders and they should be followed, no questions asked." Zachariah paused for a moment as he watched Dean's eyes drift down to the silver hunting knife that was tucked into the side of his belt. "Sounds familiar, Dean?" He asked with a smile, his voice pulling the young hunter's eyes away from the silver blade he had used to carve out Castiel's wings. "Your own father treated you and your brother just as good as I do my angels."

"That's not true." Dean was quick to reply, his blood starting to boil when he realized Zachariah had in his possession, the blade he had given to the rogue angel he now considered a brother.

"Of course it is." Zachariah continued. "Your father gave you orders and you obeyed. If you haven't realized it yet, that's the life of an angel, you're told what to think and what to do... You obey, those are the rules."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Dean replied with sarcasm, his grip on the dagger's handle tightening as his eyes narrowed on the angel standing in front of him. "Except when they realize that what they've been led to believe has been a bunch of lies, and that their orders aren't coming from God anymore. Daddy might have left you in charge, but you're doing such a piss-poor job that even your angels are choosing to bail." He paused for a moment as he took a deep breath. "I knew how to stand up for myself and so do your soldiers... If you haven't noticed yet, they're falling fast and the more of them that join my ranks, the less likely it is that you're going to get away with this."

"That sounds threatening and all, but who's going to actually stop me, you and your renegade army?" Zachariah replied, a grin to his face. "You're not an angel, and they don't have it in them." He continued taking one last step forward to close the little distance there was left between them. "You're standing alone and if you really thought that you and your army of rogue angels would be enough to stop me, you're about to be very disappointed."

"No, you're about to be very surprised." Dean was quick to reply as he pulled the long silver dagger from the back of his belt with one hand and wrapped the other around the angel's throat, shoving him hard into the side of the car behind him. Caught off guard, Zachariah didn't have time to react as the young hunter thrust the dagger into his chest, forcefully holding him in place as an angel's sharp blade plunged through both flesh and bone.

"This is for Sam and Dean." Castiel growled, putting his weight against the dagger as a stream of light started seeping from the angel's wound. "And all of the angels you've deceived along the way, you soulless, heartless, son of a bitch." His words echoed in the woods as the light started to consume the darkness around him. When it all vanished with the wind, he pulled his dagger free and took a step back, letting the lifeless body fall to the ground at his feet.

Dean couldn't help but gasp for breath when he felt the air get pulled out of his lungs. In an instant, the angel that had taken control of his body was gone. He looked down at the dagger in his hand before looking up at the Impala; the dew drops that settled on the windows and black finish had frozen over, leaving the faint outline of wings stretched along the side of his car. He couldn't help but reach out to press a hand against the ice, needing to feel it melt against his palm, needing proof that it was all real and that it had all come to an end, tonight.

"He never saw it coming..." Castiel said softly, pulling the young hunter's eyes away from the side of his car and the frost that covered it.

When Dean turned to face the renegade angel standing behind him, he couldn't help but offer a smile. "You were right, together we were strong enough to kill the son of a bitch... well played, Cas." He started, passing the silver dagger he had been holding back to the angel that had pulled him from Hell. "I thought for sure we were screwed when Zachariah showed up but we did it anyway." There was a moment of silence as his eyes drifted down to the lifeless body by his car, just the thought of having an angel like Zachariah use him as a vessel made his skin crawl. He could only hope that Zachariah's human host had been dead long before the egotistical angel had chosen to use him as a vessel. When his eyes focused on the handle of the silver hunting knife tucked into the man's belt, he let out a heavy sigh. "I think this belongs to you." He said, reaching down to grab the knife he had had engraved for Castiel's fist Christmas as part of the family. He held it for a moment before using the bottom of his shirt to wipe off the dry blood that stained it's sharp edge. "Sort of ironic, don't you think?" He asked, his tone of voice almost dry as he passed the blade back to it's rightful owner. "Zachariah used the knife I gave you to cut out your angel wings..."

"I consider it more fitting than ironic, that he would use something you gave me to take away what shred of Heaven I had left." Castiel quietly replied, passing his fingers over the lettering that graced the blade before he carefully tucked it into the side of his jeans. "You are after all, the reason I gave it all up."

"Doesn't mean you're not an angel in my books, Cas." Dean was quick to reply, his eyes catching those of the angel standing only a few feet away. "You might be a rogue one, but you're still an angel nonetheless... you just have a different mission now."

Castiel couldn't help but smile when he watched Dean's trademark grin suddenly appear; the more time he spent at the hunter's side, the less he missed all he had sacrificed. Rebelling was something he didn't regret and after everything he had been through, even having his wings cut out wasn't enough to break him... Because every time he saw Dean smile or heard Samantha laugh, he knew what he had done was right. Mankind was worth saving, no matter the cost. "I'll go let our renegade angels know that the ambush is off and that the job is done." He started, his eyes drifting down to the body on the ground. "Maybe give Zachariah's followers one last chance to straightened out and choose a side."

"Shouldn't be too hard, right?" Dean replied as he reached down to grab the beer bottle on the ground by his feet. "I mean, they don't even have a leader anymore." He continued, pouring out what was left of the beer he had dropped.

"I'm hoping they will find one in you." Castiel replied, his tone of voice pulling the other man's attention away from the alcohol that was pooling in the dirt by his feet. "They need someone to follow and without Zachariah, I think those who were reluctant to leave his side, might finally join ours."

"Is there anything you want me to do tonight?" Dean asked with a yawn.

"No." Castiel replied simply, pausing for only a moment as he watched the other man lean back against the Impala. "I want you to go home for the nigh, be sure to call Chuck and Bobby to let them know how it went, and give little Sammie a kiss for me."

Dean couldn't help but smile as he watched Castiel adjust his leather jacket, the clothes Michelle had chosen for the renegade angel could not have suited him better. "I can do that for you." He replied as Castiel turned to leave. "Hey, what do you want to do with Zachariah?" He asked, pointing towards the body laying nearby.

"Just leave him, I'll send someone to take care of it." The renegade angel replied. With that said, he took a few steps and simply vanished in the night, leaving the other man standing alone.

Dean's eyes drifted down to the vessel that had contained Zachariah for only a moment before he pushed himself from the side of his car and made his way around to the front of it. Though the headlights were still his only source of light, the night no longer seemed quite as dark or dreary. He was no longer hiding, no longer fearing the day that he would fall into Zachariah's hands and be held responsible for the beginning of the end. With the looming Apocalypse averted, now was the time to shift his focus from the angels to the demons and their leader. In a year's time, his deal with the Devil would be up and unlike Zachariah, he couldn't hide from Lucifer.

He leaned back against the front grill of the Impala as his eyes focused on his brother's grave marker nearby. "We did it, Sammy." He said quietly, swallowing the lump caught in his throat as he passed a hand over his face. "I didn't think we'd be able to pull it off, but Cas took over at just the right moment and we did it." He took a deep breath as he thought of his younger brother and at how he thought Sam would be standing at his side till the end. Sam might not have actually been there with him and Castiel that night, but Dean knew that his brother was with him always. "One down, one more to go..." He said as he tossed the empty beer bottle out into the pile of burnt ruble in front of him, smiling to himself when he heard the glass shatter in he night. "One more to go." He repeated to himself.


	18. Sooner or later it's over

The year had slipped by them as if they were standing still, days ripped out from under them without so much as a warning. The night of Zachariah's death had marked a turning point among the Heavens, a revolution that had not only redefined the role of God's warriors, but their purpose in the eternal battle between Heaven and Hell. The angels that had followed Zachariah out of fear and loyalty now stood proudly behind a different kind of leader; one that had renewed both their faith and hope by simply living the life he had been given the best that he could... Proving to them that what you truly believed in, really was worth fighting for. With Dean at the helm of a celestial army and Castiel at his side, order among the angels had finally been restored. In an attempt to keep his little family out of harm's way, Dean had moved out of Michelle's house and in with Bobby and Chuck. Though it had been a life hard to leave behind, Michelle and Samantha were always just a phone call away.

Sitting around a table overtaken by books; Chuck, Bobby, Castiel and Dean were faced with a grim reality, they were running out of days and they were running out of time. Dean's deal with Lucifer would be up in a little over twenty four hours and they had yet to find a way to stop the Devil from raising his demons and wreaking havoc on the earth.

"Lucifer's an angel, right?" Dean started, stating the obvious yet again. "Lets just kill him like we did Zachariah."

"The only reason you were able to kill Zachariah is because he couldn't see you had a damn angel walking around in your skin." Bobby cut in, pointing across the table towards Castiel. "Dean, you're not hidden from Lucifer... He can see right through you and he knows where you are. When your deal is up, it's up... he's going to find you."

"We have archangels on our side now..." Dean pointed out. "Aren't they powerful enough to..."

"They're still below him in the ranks." Castiel interrupted. "And he would still be able to see them coming... Outnumbered or not, Lucifer is far more powerful than the archangels."

Dean let out a frustrated sigh as he passed a hand over his face. "Well I say we give it a go anyway... gather yourself an archangel entourage and take me out for another test drive..."

"Are you crazy or just plain stupid?" Bobby replied, forcefully setting his beer down between the books on the table in front of him.

"Maybe a bit both." Dean was quick to reply. "I know how it sounds Bobby, but we've got to do something."

"And you suggest just throwing yourself in front of the Devil and hoping for the best?" The veteran hunter growled. "Dean, that's not going to work, you're going to get yourself and Castiel killed... Not to mention your archangels."

"Bobby's right." Castiel cut in, his soft tone of voice instantly dissipating the tension between them. "It would never work."

"Then what the Hell are we supposed to do?" Dean asked, leaning back in his chair. "We just barely have a day to come up with something that we haven't been able to think of, in the past five years."

There was a moment of silence and Chuck let out a sigh. "I know my prophecies seem to be all over the map since you took Zachariah down, but..."

"That's because he was the one feeding you the lines..." Dean muttered, half aloud and half under his breath.

"They weren't all coming from him, Dean." Chuck continued, catching the young hunter's eyes. "Though incredibly vague at first, it was foretold that you would lead an army of angels against the infidel." Chuck paused for only a moment as he watched Dean shake his head. "That didn't change, it just got clearer... Zachariah was the infidel."

"What's your point?" Dean asked, taking a sip of his beer. "Just like any prophecy, if you wait long enough, it'll eventually happen..."

"My point is, that it all seemed so far fetched, impossible if you will; but it all came true... You did lead an army of angels against him and you did bring him down." There was a moment of silence as Chuck reached through the pile of open books to grab a sheet of paper, his latest glimpse into what was yet to come. "Dean, all I'm saying is that it was foretold that you would be the one to bring them down, that you and your renegades would bring them all down... That's why Zachariah had you pulled from Hell, he knew you'd be able to stop Lucifer."

"So what's the plan Chuck?" Dean asked, his frustration barely hidden below the surface as he watched the clock tick away. "It's great that you think you saw the end game, but we need a way of getting there, before Lucifer tears out the fuckin' tracks."

"Dean, relax..." Castiel started, his eyes narrowing on the young hunter at his side. "It is true that this was long foretold, we just need to figure out how it can be achieved."

"It was long foretold by a pushy, self-centered dick that wanted nothing but to destroy the world to create an angels only club." Dean was quick to reply. "We can't exactly rely on what was long foretold, because Zachariah twisted whatever he wanted into your stories... If we don't think of something, we're all dead."

"Well aren't you just a bucket of sunshine." Bobby quipped, his voice pulling Dean's eyes away from the renegade angel.

"I'm being realistic, trying to think about this rationally." Dean started, his tone of voice dry.

"Oh, yeah and your rational thinking involved throwing yourself in front of the Devil and hoping for the best." Bobby continued, pausing for only a moment as Dean let out a heavy sigh. "If that's really what you want to do, than we should get the angels ready and call around to gather as many hunters as we can, put the two together just like Cas did when he took you as a vessel. Together the two of you were strong enough to..."

"I don't work with other hunters." Dean growled, his thoughts racing back to the night he had lost his little brother. "You know that."

"Put your issues aside, boy, we're going to need all the help we can get..."

"Not from hunters that have no idea what's going on." Dean cut in, his voice starting to rise.

"Dean, your deal might have kept you out of their sights, but the numbers are up... The rest of us, have had to deal with far more demons in the last five years, than we have had to deal with in our entire hunting careers." Bobby hissed.

"That's enough from both of you." Castiel interrupted, his stern tone of voice putting an end to the argument. "I know you are all tiered and frustrated but we need to keep our focus here if we're going to come up with a way to stop Lucifer." There was a moment of silence and the angel watched as both Dean and Bobby did what they could to avoid his eyes. "Now, what we need is a strategy..." There was another pause as Castiel reached over to grab a book that was open in front of him. "If we can't face him head on, then we need to find a weakness, something we can use in our favor."

"All right, so what do we know about the son of a bitch?" Dean asked, taking a deep breath as he tried to look at their situation from a different perspective.

"Well, we know that he isn't like the other angels." Bobby quietly started, getting his emotions back in check. "If he was anything like them, he wouldn't have offered you a damn thing and he certainly wouldn't have dropped in to let you know that Castiel was in trouble."

"Ok, so why did he?" Dean wondered out loud as he tried to remember all that was said the night Lucifer first appeared to him at the hospital.

"Because he's cocky and thinks he can't be beat?" Bobby suggested, letting out a sigh as he glanced over to the clock on the wall.

"Lucifer didn't want Zachariah to bring on the Apocalypse." Castiel quietly started. "He gave us time to find a way to stop him, before he destroyed mankind."

"So maybe he had a score to settle with Zachariah..." Bobby replied, pushing a few books aside. "I mean, Zachariah is the one that ordered the archangels to cast him into Hell. Or maybe he just wants the honor of wiping us out himself."

"Yeah but Lucifer isn't like Zachariah." Dean started, taking a moment to reflect on the differences between the two. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were the complete opposite..."

"They are the complete opposite..." Chuck started, rasing an eyebrow as he watched Deans eyes drift down to the pile of book in front of him. "One's from Heaven and the other's from Hell."

"No, I mean in how they act." Dean clarified. "In the long run, they both wanted us dead but Zachariah was all arms, ready to do anything to get his way... Lucifer was almost sympathetic about it, willing to cause the chaos but feeling empathetic..."

"The very first angels did have emotions, but that just complicated things." Castiel quietly started.

"So you're saying God scrapped his prototype and started making emotionless angels, like you?" Bobby asked, pointing towards Castiel. "No offense, you've come a long way."

"I read something about that somewhere... about God's first angels." Chuck started. "Each angel had a specific emotion."

"When man was created, you were given all of them at once... It's no wonder you're all so overwhelmed and confused at times." Castiel stated, watching as the prophet dug through the pile of book until he had found the one he was looking for.

"There.." Chuck started, placing the large book on top of the clutter. "Lucifer was one of the first so he's not like the other angels, he understands what love and compassion are." Chuck informed, pointing to the open book in front of him. "Some very old texts suggest that he wont even kill his flesh and blood, that's why he has little to no control over his demons, they don't fear him, his..."

"What did you just say?" Castiel interrupted, his eyes catching those of the man sitting directly across from him as he straightened out in his chair.

"I said, Lucifer understands what love and compassion are." Chuck repeated, watching as the angel's eyes fell to the pile of books open on the table in front of them. "He wont even kill his flesh and blood, his demons are like his children."

Chuck had barely finished his sentence when Castiel shot out of his chair. "Meet me at the mill in Scythe." The renegade angel said as he turned to face Dean for only a moment.

"What? Why?" Dean started, watching as the angel turned to leave. "Cas?... Cas!" Before he got a reply, the angel was gone.

"Wonder what he's got up his sleeve now..." Bobby started, looking over towards Chuck.

"Don't know, but it better be good." Chuck replied, watching as Dean got up from his chair and grabbed his jacket. "We're running out of time."

"Well then, I guess I'm going out for a drive." Dean said as he fished his car keys from his pocket. "Don't wait up..."


	19. You know I'd give my life for you, more than words can say

When Dean pulled up to the burnt out mill, the very first thing he noticed; was that the lone brick wall left standing after the blaze, had finally collapsed. The heavy fog that hung low to the ground drifted over the debris, concealing most of the carnage and giving off the illusion of a smoldering fire. For a moment, he could have sworn he could still smell the thick acrid smoke. With a full moon high above, anything and everything cast an eerie shadow across the ground. He put the Impala in park but left the headlights on as he leaned forward in his seat, his eyes scanning the scene in front of him for any sign of Castiel. Aside from various beams and the scorched boiler towering over the fog, there was nothing but the night. He let out a yawn as he glanced down at his watch, mentally calculating how many hours, minutes and seconds he had left before his deal with Lucifer would be up.

When he looked back up towards the mill, his eyes instantly focused on the silhouette of a man that was walking in the distance among the fog and debris. "This better be good Cas..." He muttered to himself as he stepped out of the car and slammed his door shut, sending the sound echoing through the dead autumn trees. He took a few steps forward but stopped dead in his tracks when he realized that the other man was much too tall for Castiel, even the way he walked wasn't like the renegade angel he had come to consider as family. His hand instinctively reached for the gun in the back of his belt, bringing it up at arms length and taking aim. "Who's there?" He called out, loading the gun as he waited for the stranger to step out into the headlights of his car.

"Dean?" Came the faint reply. "Dean, are you there?"

The voice that made a shiver run down his spine made his blood run cold, his hands started to shake and his grip on his gun instantly dissipated as his arms dropped down to his sides. It was a voice from the past, a voice he never thought he would get to hear again. "Sammy?" He managed, his words catching in the back of his throat as he watched his little brother step out of the fog and into the Impala's piercing headlights. He swallowed hard as his eyes focused on the other man, his heart skipping a beat when he realized that it wasn't a dream, that Sam really was walking towards him.

"Dean, are you alright? How are you holding up?" Sam asked, walking to join his brother by the car. "Come on, we need to get you to a Hospital... get that bullet out of your shoulder as soon as possible."

Dean couldn't put two words together as he reached out to pull the other man into a tight hug, holding him near for a moment just to make sure that he really was there in front of him. When Sam muttered under his breath, he quickly pulled away.

"My side is just killing me..." Sam explained, looking up to catch his older brother's eyes. "It's like, searing hot." He couldn't help but wince in pain as he lifted the bottom of his shirt, turning slightly to make use of the Impala's bright headlights. "Is there anything there?" He asked. "Did I get shot?"

When Dean's eyes focused on the hand print burned into his brother's flesh, it all suddenly became quite clear. The rogue angel that had pulled him from Hell, had just done the same for his little brother. "Cas..." He started, choking on the words as he turned towards the gutted mill. "Cas, you son of a bitch..."

Sam looked down at the burn and then watched as his brother took a few steps back. "What about him?" He asked, still trying to make sense of it all. "I thought he was dead?"

Dean took a deep breath as he turned on the spot. "Sam, what do you remember?" He asked, catching his younger brother's eyes. "What do you remember about the night we came out here to check out that haunting?"

"You mean, tonight?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched his brother take a glance around the lot. "Dean are you feeling OK?"

"Tell me what you remember about that hunt..." Dean quietly replied, his thoughts darting back to the night that had changed everything.

There was a moment of silence as Sam let out a sigh, well aware that there was something different with Dean, but not sure yet what that might be. "Not much." He started, his eyes drifting over to where the mill once stood. "We came out here to check out an old abandoned mill, that used to be over there, and then Bobby called to tell you it was a trap. We got ambushed by some hunters, you got shot and I used my um, my psychic crap to push you out of the way. I locked you in a room of some kind to keep them from getting to you and then the other hunters..." Sam paused for a moment as he watched Dean wipe the tears that were starting to form with the back of his hand. "I guess he must have knocked me out because I don't really remember much after that..." Sam continued. "Why? How long was I out?"

"Five years..." Dean replied, swallowing the lump that was caught in his throat. "Sam, you've been out five years... you died that night."

"What?"

"You died that night." Dean repeated, trying to keep his voice from wavering. "That night, those hunters killed you, lit the place up and left us both for dead." There was a moment of silence as he pointed down towards the makeshift grave marker nearby. "Castiel pulled me out of the mill, but there was nothing he could do to save you... that was five years ago."

When Sam's eyes focused on the charred wooden cross held up by a pile of scorched bricks, his mind started to race. "I died?" He asked, looking back to catch his brothers eyes. Dean could do nothing more than give him a nod. "Then how did I come back?"

There was a moment of silence as the pair turned their attention to the burnt out mill in front of them and at what they could see of it in Impala's headlights. "The same way I did." Dean quietly replied. "Cas told me to meet him here, he must have pulled you from the pit."

"I was in Hell?" Sam asked, lightly passing a hand over the burn in his side. "Dean, I don't remember any of it... I heard the gunshot and I blacked out when I was in the mill." He paused for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that the last hour or so to him, had been five years to Dean and the rest of the world. "When I felt this searing pain burn up my side, it just stunned me, it pulled me wide awake..." He paused again as he sucked in a ragged breath, his imagination running wild with everything he might have missed in the last five years. "Hey Dean, what happened with Zachariah and Lucifer and the Apocalypse?"

"I'll fill you in on that later, Sammy... but right now, we really need to find Cas." Dean started, walking back to the car to grab his flashlight from the trunk. "He's got to be around here somewhere."

Sam watched as his brother tossed him a flashlight and made his way towards the front of the Impala, a certain urgency in his step as he ventured through the debris that littered the ground in front of them. He flicked his own light on as he joined the other man, carefully scanning the mess of scattered bricks and burnt wood. "Are you sure he's out here?" He asked, trying to see through the heavy fog that was hanging around his knees.

"He's gotta be here somewhere." Dean replied, still having a hard time believing that Sam was really there with him. When he eyed the large boiler in front him, he couldn't help but feel his breath start to catch in the back of his throat. Standing among the debris of the old mill, he was standing in the very same place he had been the night that shotgun blast tore through the door he was pounding on, the night his younger brother had died at the hands of other hunters. As his gaze drifted from the scorched boiler to the ground nearby, his heart sank like a stone. "Cas..." He breathed, his eyes focusing on the angel that was laying among the debris.

Sam turned on the spot as he watched his brother kneel down. "Did you find him?" He asked, cautiously making his way over to the other man. When Dean pulled Castiel up into a sitting position, Sam couldn't help but swear under his breath. The angel seemed pale, his hands covered in cuts, scratches and burns. "Is he alright?" He asked, surprised to see that Castiel was no longer sporting his tan trench coat and black suit.

"I don't know." Dean replied, setting his flashlight down as he pressed a finger against the side of the angel's neck. "I think so... Cas? Cas!" He started, trying to get the angel's attention. "Come on, Cas... Snap out of it." He pleaded, studying a small gash across the side of his cheek. When Dean noticed the dark red stain that had started to seep through the front of Castiel's blue shirt, he swore under his breath. "Grab his legs, we need to get him out of here."

Sam shoved his flashlight into his pocket as he reached down to grab the angel's legs, waiting for Dean to get his arms before they lifted him from the cold, wet ground. Right away, he knew something was different." Dean, is he still an angel?" Sam asked, carefully stepping over the debris as they made their way back towards the Impala.

"Yeah, he's still an angel but lots of the stuff he used to be able to do, he can't do anymore... Not since he rebelled." Dean explained as Sam reached over to open the Impala's back door. "Healing himself and other people, is one of them."

"So where are we taking him?" Sam asked as they lay the angel across the back seat and shut the door. "Where do you bring an injured angel, the Hospital?"

Dean shook his head as he slid in behind the wheel of his car. "We're taking him to Home-base." He replied, closing the driver's door and turning the key in the ignition.

"Bobby's place is at least two hours from here..." The younger man started as he slammed his door shut.

"We're not going to Bobby's, I know a little place nearby." Dean clarified, putting the shifter in reverse and pealing out of the lot.

When Sam's eyes caught the small picture that was wedged between the radio and dash panel, he couldn't help but reach over to grab it. "Who's this?" He asked, a smile creeping up from the corner of his lips as his older brother glanced over for only a moment. "She's got your eyes..."

"That's Castiel's Goddaughter." Dean explained, turning his attention back to the road ahead of them. "Congratulations man, you're an uncle..."

"You have a daughter?" Sam asked, carefully putting the small picture back where it had been. "I don't know what to say... how old is she? What's her name?"

"She'll be six in a few months and her name is..." Dean paused for a moment as he looked over to catch his younger brother's eyes, his little girl's namesake. "Her name's Samantha." He replied with a smile.


	20. Fight Fire with Fire

When the Impala pulled up to the house, Dean couldn't help but let out a sigh. The porch light was on, just as she said it would be so he can find his way back. It had been a year since he'd moved out of Michelle's house and into Bobby's, a year since he had left what would easily have been considered a normal life, for the one he had grown up living. Though he called at least three times a week and dropped by every time he could, this was no longer his life and this was no longer his home, a reality that he was just starting to come to grips with.

"This is it?" Sam asked, pulling his older brother away from his thoughts as they came to a stop in front of the simple country home.

"Yeah, this is it." Dean replied, putting the car in park and taking the keys from the ignition. "Let's get him inside." Together, they pulled Castiel from the back seat and quickly made their way up the few front steps of the house. Before they reached the front door, it swung open and Michelle stepped aside to let them in. "Sorry to come in so late..." Dean started as he guided Sam through the house to a spare bedroom nearby. "But Cas could really use your help right now..."

Michelle grabbed a few facecloths from the bathroom and poured a bowl of hot water, before making her way towards the bedroom; knowing that it was something she would more than likely need anytime Dean showed up this late at night. She watched as the men placed the renegade angel down on the bed and Dean quickly took a seat at his side, carefully starting to remove his leather jacket. "What happened, are you alright?" She asked as she placed the bowl of hot water on the bedside table and pulled her medical kit out from under the bed. Though Castiel's clothes weren't ripped or torn, his body seemed to be covered in burns, scratches and cuts.

Dean gave her a nod as he tossed the jacket to a chair nearby. "I'm fine, but I'm not so sure about Cas." He replied, pulling the angel's blue T-shirt up so that Michelle could get a look at the gouge across his stomach. "The son of a bitch went into Hell solo..." Dean continued, taking a moment to study one of the many burns that covered the angel's arms.

"What? Why?" Michelle was quick to reply, pulling Castiel's shirt up and over his head before tossing it aside with the leather jacket.

There was a moment of silence as she looked over to catch Dean's eyes. "Michelle, this is my brother Sam..." Dean started, watching as her eyes drifted over to the other man leaning in the doorway. "Sam, this is Michelle."

Though he gave her a polite smile, Sam didn't know what to say as he watched the young woman study him carefully. He didn't know who she was or where Dean had met her, but he was more than certain that she was the mother of Dean's daughter.

"This is Sam?" She quietly asked, swallowing hard as she turned her attention back to the man sitting at Castiel's side. "Your brother Sam? I thought you said he died the night Cas brought you to the..."

"He did die that night." Dean cut in, his soft tone of voice silencing her mid sentence. "Cas must have fought his way into Hell and pulled him out... just like he did to me."

When Michelle once again looked back towards Sam, she couldn't help but notice the hand he had clamped around his lower side. "You were burned, weren't you?" She asked, grabbing the wet cloth from the bedside table as she made her way over towards him. "Let me see, does it hurt?" She continued as Sam lifted the bottom of his shirt for her to have a look at the hand shaped welt.

"A bit yeah." Sam replied, sucking in a breath as she pressed the damp cloth over the burn.

"With his sense of humor, you're lucky he didn't grab somethin' else." Michelle said with a wink and a grin as she caught his eyes. "Hold onto this for a bit." She said as she placed his hand over the damp cloth and made her way back towards the bed.

"Cas has a sense of humor?" Sam asked, watching as his brother wrung out the facecloth and started cleaning the angel's many cuts and gashes.

"Yeah, if you want to call it that..." Dean replied without looking over. "He's still working on it."

"Why did he pull me from Hell?" Sam quietly asked, making his way over to the foot of the bed and taking a seat. "If it's been five years, why wait until now?"

There was a moment of silence as Dean looked over to catch his younger brother's eyes. "I don't know Sammy, when you died that night, he told me there was nothing he could do for you."

"I needed a vessel Lucifer wouldn't dare lay a hand on..." Castiel groaned, brining a hand up to his chest as he took a deep breath.

"Yeah and you had to fight your way into Hell all by yourself?" Dean suddenly growled, the concern in his voice more than apparent. "There's an army of renegade angels on standby, if you would have told me what you had in mind, we would..."

"The less entourage, the better the chance I have of going in and getting out before they know I'm there." Castiel quietly interrupted.

"Well, it looks like you were spotted to me." Michelle replied, pointing to his numerous wounds. "You're lucky this isn't anything serious."

"Wait, you have an army of renegade angels following you around?" Sam asked, trying to piece together the last five years he had missed.

"I don't." Castiel started, wincing in pain as Dean passed the cloth over one of the many cuts. "But Dean does... the angels have chosen to follow him into war."

Sam let out a sigh as he passed a hand over his face. "Guys, I've been dead, for almost five years..." He said, his tone of voice getting their attention. "You need to bring me up to speed here, because I have no idea what's going on."

"Alright listen up Sammy, cause here's the short version..." Dean started, turning slightly to catch his younger brother's eyes. "Zachariah and his angels were to blame for the Apocalypse, they just couldn't get it started until they had me at their side. The night that you died, Cas burned a concealment seal into my chest to hide me from all of them." Dean paused for a moment as he pulled the top of his shirt down to reveal the symbol scrawled across his collar bone. "I put hunting behind me for a little while and everything was fine but then Zachariah turned his attention from trying to find me, to finding Cas. Worked too, the son of a bitch cut out his angel wings." Dean paused again as he watched his brother's eyes drift over to the identical scars on the angel's back. "Anyway, about a year ago, Cas thought of a way to stop Zachariah. Long story short, I let him walk around in my skin and together we killed the son of a bitch... only an angel can kill another angel right? Well thanks to that concealment seal, Zachariah didn't see it coming." He said as he rinsed the facecloth in the bowl of water nearby.

"You killed Zachariah?" Sam asked, surprised as Castiel gave him a nod. "So that's the end of the Apocalypse? What about Lucifer?"

"The night you died, I also made a deal with the Devil; that I would stay off his back if he agreed to stay off mine." Dean replied as he took a deep breath. "We had five years to think of a way to stop him from raising his demons and overtaking the earth... and in just under twenty four hours, our time is up."

"So where do I come in?" Sam asked, knowing that they really were down to the wire if the angel had fought his way into Hell to pull him out.

"Lucifer wont dare lay a hand on his own flesh and blood." Castiel quietly started. "We can't hide from him and our renegade army isn't strong enough to defeat him... but with you as my vessel, we might stand a chance." The angel paused for only a moment as he watched Sam struggle with the thought of his new purpose in life. "You have demon blood in you Sam; what got you killed in the first place, might now save us all."

"Cas you're a genius..." Dean started, pausing for a moment as he caught the angel's eyes.

"Yeah, I know." Castiel replied with somewhat of a grin.

"Genius or not, I don't EVER want you to do something like this alone again." Michelle growled, pointing to him as if he were a child being scolded. "You hear me?"

"Yes, m'am.." The angel quietly replied, wincing as Dean continued to clean the cuts and burns.

When a floor board in the hall creaked, all eyes turned to the open door and to the little girl that was peering in. "Heya Sammie." Dean said with a smile as the little girl ran over to his side, eying Sam carefully as she passed.

Watching his older brother reach down to pick up the child was a pull at his heart strings. The proud smile on Dean's face was one of the things Sam never thought he would get to see.

"Samantha, what are you doing out of bed?" Michelle asked, her stern tone of voice forcing the little girl to look over.

"I heard Daddy's car pull up." The child explained as she turned her attention to the angel on the bed in front of her. "Uncle Cas, are you alright?" She asked, her eyes scanning the marks that covered his chest.

"I'm fine kiddo." Castiel replied, reaching over to move the hair from her face. "You should be in bed, sleeping."

"Mom, can I stay up?" She asked as she turned to catch her mother's eyes. "Please?" She pleaded.

"It's late..." Michelle simply replied.

"Samantha sweetie, it's late." Dean cut in, pulling the child's attention away from Michelle. "Besides, we're still going to be here for breakfast when you wake up tomorrow morning."

"Really?" The little girl exclaimed as she reached up to throw her arms around his neck. "You promise?"

"I promise." Dean replied as he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Now get to bed."

Michelle shook her head as she watched the little girl run off down the hall and then up the stairs. "I swear that child hears your car coming from a mile away."

"You can hear any car coming from a mile away out here." Dean replied with a smile as he finished cleaning up the angel's wounds.

"Yeah but she already knows the difference." Michelle said as she grabbed a bandage and some antiseptic cream from her medical kit. "All right Sam, on your feet." She started as she made her way over to the other man. She took the damp cloth from his hands and paused for a moment as her eyes focused on the burn that was identical in every way to Dean's. "I still find it hard to believe that everything comes down to the three of you..." She said quietly, gently spreading the cream over the severe burn.

"Yeah well, we'll do our best." Casitel replied, watching as Michelle carefully bandaged Sam's burn and then took a seat on the bed by his side.

"Hey Sam, why don't you give Bobby a call and let him know we're spending the night here." Dean started as he fished his cell phone from his pocket. "I'm sure he'll be surprised to hear from you."

Sam grabbed the phone from his brother's hand as he gave him a slight smile. "If the man dies of a heart attack, I'm blaming you." He said as he made his way towards the hall. He punched down Bobby's number and as he waited for the other line to pick up, his eyes scanned the various pictures that were hanging on the wall in front of him. A smile crept up from the corner of his lips when he spotted a picture of both Dean and Castiel holding the little girl up. When the other line picked up, he sucked in a breath. "Hey Bobby." He started, listening to the silence that greeted him. "It's..." When dial tone filled the silence, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle, making his way back towards the bedroom. "He hung up on me..." He announced as he walked into the room.

"Well then he's going to be really surprised when we show up tomorrow..." Castiel replied as he caught the younger man's eyes.

"He can't say we didn't call to give him a heads up." Dean started, tucking the medical kit away as he got to his feet.

"Well you can deal with him when you're on your way, but right now I think you boys should get some sleep." Michelle said as she watched Dean let out a yawn. "Come with me Sam, I'll set you up for the night." She continued as she made her way towards the door, the younger man following her into the hall.

Dean let out a sigh as he turned his attention to the angel on the bed in front of him. "You really think this is going to work?" He asked as he took a deep breath. "That Sam's demon blood will be enough to give us the upper hand ?"

"It better work..." Castiel quietly replied. "Because it's all we've got."


	21. Bitter words under my breath

"Please be careful." Michelle whispered in his ear as she held him close for a moment.

"You know I will." Dean replied as he pulled away and knelt down to hug his little girl. "Be good, Sammie..."

When Michelle pulled Castiel into a hug, the angel couldn't help but smile; knowing exactly what she was thinking and what she was about to say. "I'll keep an eye on him." He whispered softly.

"Good." She replied, swallowing the lump caught in her throat. "You take care of yourself too..."

Sam leaned back against the Impala as he watched Dean and Castiel say their good-byes. Five years had brought out a side in both of them he could have never imagined. His brother had a family of his own, a daughter that meant the world to him and a kind woman at his side. Castiel, as far as he could tell, was as close to being human as an angel could possibly get. Together, they had forged a friendship, a brotherhood that was more than apparent in the way Castiel was looking out for his older brother... Just like Dean used to do with him. Sam couldn't help but smile at the thought, happy to see that Dean had managed to make a life without him... happy that Dean's entire world hadn't come to a dead stop the night he died, just like it had the first time. The first time, his older brother had traded in his own life to save him, but this time was different and Sam knew he owed it all to Michelle and Castiel. His older brother no longer felt alone in the world. He gave Michelle a wave as the pair made their way over towards the Impala, both doing what they could just to keep themselves together. "She seems nice..." He said as he caught his older brother's eyes.

"She is." Dean replied as he took one last glance towards Michelle and Samantha. "Alright, let's hit the road." He announced as he tossed his car keys over to Castiel. "I call shotgun..."

"You're kidding, right?" Sam asked as he watched the angel flash him a grin before pulling the driver's door open and sliding in behind the wheel. "Dean?"

"Prepare to be amazed, Sammy." Dean replied as he gave his brother a smile and slid into the passenger seat. "Cas, is a great driver... He just can't park the thing."

Sam reluctantly got into the back seat and was surprised to see Castiel take the wheel of the Impala as if it were something he did everyday. "Cas, it's like I don't even know you anymore." He started as they pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. "Everything about you has changed, the way you act, walk, talk, look... If I didn't know any better I'd say you were one of us."

"Five years is a long time, many things can change." Castiel replied, his grip on the wheel tightening as he looked up into the rearview mirror to catch the younger man's eyes. "Sam, I'm sorry I couldn't save you that night..." He quietly started, his thoughts racing back to the raging fire that had devoured the mill. To the day, he could still feel the heat of the flames licking at his back and he could still smell the acrid smoke. Had he been able to understand anguish and guilt that night, he would have drowned in it for sure.

"It's alright." Sam quietly replied, pressing a hand against the bandage Michelle had placed to cover the burn the renegade angel who'd pulled him for Hell, had left. "I'm here now and I owe it all to you."

"I would have pulled you from Hell sooner..." Castiel started, feeling the need to explain why so much time had elapsed since that fateful night at the mill. "But what I did to get to you last night. What I did..."

"Was suicidal." Dean cut in, his voice forcing the angel to look over for only a moment. "You didn't think you'd make it out alive and all odds say that you shouldn't have..." He growled, sucking in a shallow breath. "You were lucky."

Castiel swallowed hard as he gave the man at his side a nod; knowing that even if Dean was truly grateful for what he had done, the hunter was still upset about what could have happened had he not made it back out of Hell alive. "You knew..." He said simply, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had suddenly filled the car.

"Of course I knew." Dean replied, his eyes narrowing on the road ahead of them as he took a deep breath. Though Castiel had come out of Hell with nothing more than some minor cuts, burns and scratches; it could have been worse, much worse and just the thought of loosing another _brother_ tore him apart inside. "When you pulled me from Hell you were a full blown angel and you had an entire army covering your ass..." He started, trying to keep his tone of voice steady. "When you went in after Sam, you weren't half as strong and you went in alone."

"Desperate times, call for desperate measures." Castiel quietly replied, his eyes never leaving the road ahead. "We were running out of time. All I had to do was get him out of Hell, any other angel would have been good enough to take Sam as a vessel and face Lucifer."

"Yeah but they're not you, Cas." Dean was quick to reply, pausing for a moment as the image of Castiel outnumbered by demons plagued his mind. "You're the closest to Heaven that I'll ever be and I don't want to loose you, not now."

"Dean, you have to understand that this is much bigger than you and I." The angel quietly started, swallowing the lump caught in his throat as his grip on the wheel tightened slightly.

"I get that, but if we don't make it out of this alive tonight, I want you to be the one standing there with me... we're in this together, remember?" When the angel behind the wheel gave him a nod, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. After everything they had been through, the though of facing Lucifer without him there at his side was something he couldn't bare. "Good... All right, we need to fill up on gas." He suddenly started, quicklly changing the subject as he leaned over to get a look at the fuel gauge in the dash. "Pull into that service station up ahead." He informed, pointing to the small garage just up the road. "There's nowhere to fill up between Scythe and Bobby's place and my baby's running on empty."

Castiel gave him another nod as he pulled off the road, letting the Impala coast to a stop near the pumps before putting the car in park and shutting the ignition. When Dean stepped out of the passenger seat, Sam couldn't help but watch as his older brother made his way around to the gas pumps. "Dean really has changed in the past few years." He casually remarked, his voice pulling the angel's attention away from the climbing numbers on the pump nearby. "Family and loyalty still come first, but there's something different about him. Emotionally, he's not the same person he was back then."

"He has changed." Castiel simply replied, his eyes catching those of the man sitting behind him in the rear view mirror. "He's become a stronger man, now able to deal with things that would have once crushed him."

"Well, the change is good." Sam quietly replied, taking notice of the old beat-up truck that pulled in on the other side of the pumps. "The last time, he didn't survive my death."

"It took time and he's come a long way." Castiel continued. "But your brother still has a lot of anger over what happened to you that night at the mill."

"Hey Cas... What did happen to me that night at the mill?" Sam quietly asked, swallowing the lump caught in his throat.

The angel took a deep breath as he tried to think of where to start, that night had been one he wished he could forget. "You were hunted by a group of hunters out for revenge." He quietly started. "They tracked you down and they put a round of lead, then silver into your chest. To be sure you were dead, they salted and burned your remains..."

Sam let out a sigh as he passed a hand over his face, just thinking of what both Dean and Castiel had gone through that night made him choke up. "What about those hunters?" He asked. "Knowing Dean, they'd all be dead for what they did to me."

There was a moment of silence as the angel turned in his seat, his attention drifting away from Sam, to Dean who was leaning against the trunk of the Impala, his hard gaze set to the right. The expression on Dean's face as he reached for his gun forced the angel to look over at just what the older Winchester had been staring at with a glare. When Castiel's blue eyes focused on the gruff man that had stepped out of the old truck nearby, he swore under his breath. This would not end well.

That face was one Dean would never forget. It was scorched into his memory just the same as the hand print that had been burned into his shoulder and the seal etched into his chest. When he caught the other man's eyes, his mind raced back through the years to that night at the mill on the outskirts of Scythe, when that same hunter had held a shotgun to his chest. The night that man had killed his younger brother. He took a step forward as he pulled his gun from the back of his belt, holding it at arms length as the man turned to face him. "You son of a bitch." He growled, pausing for only a moment as he let the hunter study him carefully. It was the first he'd seen of him since that night at the mill and Dean was more than determined to make it their last encounter. "You know who I am?" He barked, his tone of voice demanding an answer. "Do you remember me?" He continued, ignoring the sound of the Impala's doors slamming shut behind him. "I said, DO. YOU. REMEMBER ME?" He shouted, feeling an anger that he had harbored deep inside for years suddenly surface.

The hunter swallowed hard as he offered a nervous nod. "Yeah, I remember you." He replied simply, his gaze drifting over to Sam and Castiel as the pair quickly made their way over.

"Do you remember him?" Dean continued, pointing towards his younger brother as his eyes bore down into the hunter standing only a few feet away. "Last time you met, you unloaded your gun into his chest." He growled, loading his pistol as the man took a panicked step back. "How would you like me to return the favor?"

There was a moment of silence as the hunter's eyes shifted between the Winchester brothers he thought for sure were dead. Not only had he shot Sam point blank in the chest, he'd salted the body and burned the mill to the ground to ensure neither would survive. "How is that possible... How are you both even still..."

"Alive?" Dean cut in, knowing exactly what the other man was going to ask. "Let's just say that we've got friends in high places." He paused as he watched the hunter's eyes drift over his shoulder to Castiel who was standing close by. "And in case you haven't heard, I DID stop the Apocalypse... So now you owe your life to me and I'm ready to collect it."

"Dean." Castiel interrupted, reaching out to grab him by the shoulder. "That's enough." There was a short moment of silence as the angel pulled Dean towards him, forcing him to take a step away from the hunter. "Get in the car, we have more important things to deal with right now."

Dean sucked in a deep breath as he slowly lowered his gun, his eyes never breaking away from the man in front of him. Though his heart was still racing and his blood still boiling, Castiel's stern tone of voice always did seem to disarm him. It was almost a voice of reason to him these days, something to keep him from flying off the handle when hunting hit too close to home and much too close to the heart. "You're lucky I didn't run into you five years ago, you son of a bitch." He growled, tucking his gun back into his belt. "You'd be a dead man, you and all your hunting buddies."

"DEAN." Castiel hissed, once again getting the other man's attention away from the hunter standing only a few away. "I said get back in the car." The angel watched as the Winchester brothers reluctantly walked back to the Impala, the doors slamming shut with more force than necessary.

"So the rumors are true then..." The hunter suddenly started, pulling Castiel's attention away from the Impala. "Sam and Dean Winchester really were the only ones able to stop the Apocalypse."

"Well you are still here, aren't you?" Castiel simply replied. "The ones that got it started were the ones that would put an end to it... But you knew that, you just didn't care."

The hunter swore under his breath as his mind drifted back through the years. "We were wrong to hunt them down, I know that now. But all we knew for sure then, was that they were the ones that got it started. They were responsible for the death of us all and they were going to pay the price because we knew we couldn't win the war."

"You couldn't win the war." Castiel replied, his tone of voice low. "But Sam and Dean could." He paused for only a moment as he watched the hunter's eyes hit the ground at his feet. "They were tricked and deceived into breaking those seals and starting the Apocalypse, it's not something they planned. When they realized what they had done, they were determined to stop what they started... That is, until you and your friends showed up and hunted them down because all you wanted was someone to blame... Someone to hold responsible."

"That was my last hunt." The man suddenly confessed, his eyes drifting back up to meet Castiel's. "A week or so after we caught up to them at the mill... My boys and I started tracking down this older guy that had been helping them out." He paused for a moment as he swallowed the lump caught in his throat. "We were hiding out in an old farmhouse near his salvage yard; waiting for nightfall, when one of my boys said he could hear voices... Voices warning him that there'd be Hell to pay if we got any closer to the guy. We all just shrugged it off, but when it got dark enough and we started gathering our things to head out... something happened." He paused again as he tried to find the right words to describe the nightmare he had lived through. "My boys, they just started dropping like flies, there was blood everywhere from stab wounds and gashes that just suddenly started to appear..."

"You didn't listen." Castiel whispered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You all heard the warning that night at the farmhouse and you all chose to ignore it. You watched your friends die one after another and like a coward you ran, you ran out of there and haven't looked back since."

There was a moment of silence and the man sucked in a ragged breath. "How do you know that?" He asked with shaky voice, the memory of that night still so vivid in his mind.

"Because... I was THERE." Castiel growled, his tone of voice sharp. "I'm the one that warned you to keep your distance and I'm the one that took out your friends when they made it clear that they wouldn't." The angel paused for only a moment as he let his words cut right through the man standing there in front of him. "Dean is playing a critical role in the fate of mankind and ANYTHING done to harm those he holds dear, will have a negative impact on his life... which could prove disastrous on the outcome of yours and the rest of mankind. I didn't want that night to end in bloodshed, but Dean couldn't afford to take another blow like the one you delivered when you killed the brother he lived for."

"I relive the night my friends died every single day..." The man quietly whispered, passing a hand over his face. "That night at the mill, the night that started it all... I wish I would have known."

"Nothing would have changed if you did." Castiel was quick to reply. "You would have still hunted them down because that's the kind of hunters you were; blood thirsty for revenge." When he watched the man's eyes once again wander away from his gaze, he cleared his throat to get his attention. "Now you're going to listen to me this time and you're going to listen very carefully." The renegade angel growled, making sure the hunter caught a glimpse of the large silver blade that was tucked into the belt of his jeans. "I want you to get back in your truck and drive... drive until you run out of road and when you do, I want you to keep going." He paused for only a moment as the man gave him a nod. "Consider yourself lucky that I am NOTHING like you, because if I was, I would have let Dean pull the trigger..."


	22. I'm ringing all the warning bells

"Hey Bobby, they're here..." Chuck called out as he watched the Impala pull up to the house. When the car came to a stop he couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he watched Dean point something out to the angel sitting behind the wheel. More than likely, it had something to do with how close the Impala was to a rather large tree in Bobby's front yard. He let out a sigh as he made his way to the front porch, eager to hear what Castiel had thought of the night before that made him take off in such a hurry. When he watched Sam step out of the car, he knew the angel had found the answer they were looking for. "Holly crap..." He breathed, his words catching in the back of his throat as he watched Sam casually make his way up to the house. He looked over his shoulder as Bobby joined him, the older man obviously also at a loss of words.

"I don't believe it..." Bobby finally muttered, carefully studying the man he knew had died years ago. "Sam?"

"Hey Bobby..." Sam started, offering a smile as he watched the older man's eyes start to tear up. "Why did you hang up on me last night?"

Bobby shook his head as he made his way down the few steps and pulled the younger man into a tight hug. "I thought I was dreaming, boy..." He started, doing his best to choke back his tears of joy, the very same tears that had fallen when Dean showed up at his door months after his death. Holding onto John's youngest son, back from the dead, was almost like a dejas-vue to him. It was the same moment, the same overwhelming emotions, just a different son. When the veteran hunter pulled away, he immediately turned to the angel he knew was responsible for the reunion. "Cas, you son of a bitch, I knew you still had a few aces up your sleeve!" He started, pulling the angel to him in a quick hug. "When you took off on us last night, I had no idea what you were up to."

"I don't think any of us did." Dean added, keeping an eye on Castiel as the angel winced slightly in Bobby's tight grip.

"Well, I wasn't sure if raising Sam was possible." Castiel admitted, pulling away from the veteran hunter's hug. "But we're getting down to the wire so I had to at least give it a try." He continued, adjusting his leather jacket as he straightened out.

"How are you holding up, are you alright?" Chuck quietly asked, his tone of voice momentarily breaking the joyous reunion. "Sam wasn't just dead, he was in Hell." The prophet continued, taking a deep breath as his eyes focused on the many burns that covered the angel's hands. "Ripping a soul out of Hell isn't easy for an angel to do... Nevermind one that's lost most of the strength Heaven gave him."

"I'm fine, Chuck." Castiel started simply, doing everything he could to avoid another speech about his solo flight into Damnation. "Just a few minor cuts and burns, Michelle looked after them."

"That's all?" Chuck continued, watching as the angel gave him a nod. "You fought your way back into Hell and you came out with nothing more than a few scratches and burns?"

"More or less." The angle replied, shifting his weight as he felt Dean's eyes on the back of his neck.

"Pretty big risk, Cas." Bobby started, his eyes drifting over Castiel's shoulder to catch Dean's hard gaze. The one thing he couldn't help but notice since Sam's death years ago, was the gradual shift between the renegade angel and the man leading a celestial army to war. The night Dean had lost his younger brother was the same night he gained an older one. Without realizing it, he had started treating the angel the same way Sam use to treat him and Castiel had started treating him, the same way he use to treat Sam.

"It was a risk worth taking." Castiel continued, reaching out to place a hand on the back of Sam's shoulder. "My only regret is not going in after him sooner."

Chuck couldn't help but let out a sigh as he tried to find his words. "This is so unreal, I don't even know what to say." He started, his eyes drifting over to the man he hadn't seen in five years. "It's just good to have you back, Sam..."

'Well, it's good to be back." The younger man replied as they started making their way up the steps to Bobby's house. "I'll do anything I can to help."

"I've gotta admit, this I never saw coming." Chuck started, passing a hand through his hair. "Doesn't really fit into the story."

"Yeah well, this is our story." The rogue angel replied, his gaze meeting Dean's. "And we're making it up as we go, remember?"

Sam couldn't help but smile as he watched the angel flash his older brother a grin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the two of you were interchangeable these days."

When both Castiel and Dean turned to look at the younger man, Bobby's the one that was quick to reply. "You have no idea, Sam." He said with a smile as they made their way into the house. "As if I didn't have enough to worry about with one Dean around."

"Oh c'mon old man, you love us and you know it." Dean replied with a smirk, reaching out to give the veteran hunter a slap on the back. "Your life would be pretty boring if it weren't for us."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Bobby started, as they stepped into the house. "Having you boys move in, sure did brighten up the place some."

"Move in?" Sam asked, watching as both Dean and Castiel tossed their leather jackets onto the banister nearby. "Wait, you guys all live here now?"

"Yup, home sweet home." Chuck replied, reaching down to pick up an empty beer bottle that had been left by the stairs in the entrance way. "I moved in after I was kidnapped and dragged here by Zachariah; the same night you were killed, and Dean & Cas moved in about a year ago to keep Michelle & 'lil Sammie out of harm's way."

"It's a little messy right now, but we've had much bigger things to deal with than how the house looks." Bobby started, he too reaching down to grab an empty beer bottle from the floor. "If we can survive tonight, maybe I'll start cleaning up the place." He continued, placing the bottle up on a book shelf with a dozen or so other empties collecting dust. "It'd be great to be able to see my house again, without all the old books and empty beer bottles laying around."

When they stepped into the living room, Sam took a moment to study the cluttered room. Though Bobby's house had always been a tad on the cluttered side to start with, it was nothing compared to what his living room looked like now. Stacks of dusty books lined the floor, leaving only enough room for the men to walk over to the table in the middle. Any surface that wasn't covered in books, was covered in empty beer bottles. To Sam; who hadn't spent the past couple of years pouring over those books, the scale of Bobby and Chuck's research was truly a sight to see. "Wow, you guys have really been hitting the books, huh?" He started, watching as the men gathered around the table, something they had surely done every single day.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Bobby replied, pulling a chair out from under a pile of books so Sam could join them. "So what's the big plan, Cas?" He started, watching as the angel made himself comfortable. "You obviously thought of something we didn't."

Castiel nodded as he pointed towards the newest member at their research table. "With Sam as my vessel, I can face Lucifer without having him fight back." The angel started, offering a grin as he leaned back in his chair. "If Lucifer won't dare lay a hand on his own flesh and blood, then I think Sam would be the best way to approach him."

"The demon blood..." Chuck stated, his eyes falling to the open books on the table in front of them. "Of course, Lucifer wont fight with Sam because of the demon blood... his own flesh and blood."

"So, you think he'll just stand there while you come at him with your angel dagger and Sam's meat suit?" Bobby replied, rasing an eyebrow as the thought of the angel's strategy to fight the Devil. "I hate to say it, but even with demon blood pumping through Sam's veins, somehow I don't think Lucifer is just going to stand there while you try killing him."

"Well Cas and I were talking and we're not exactly thinking of killing him." Dean started quietly, straightening out in his chair. "We actually have an offer for him."

"Excuse me?" Bobby started, his dry tone of voice forcing all eyes to focus on him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I just hear you say that you wanted to bargain with the Devil?" He continued, his eyes darting back and forth between Dean and the renegade angel at his side. "What are you, crazy?" There was a moment of silence as he watched the young hunter pass a hand down the back of his neck. "He's going to raise his demons from Hell to overtake the world and you want to make him an offer? Dean, when your deal with the Devil is up he's going to come find you... It doesn't matter what you have to offer, he's waited five years to get a piece of you."

"I think I'm going to have to side with Bobby on this one..." Chuck added, he too eyeing the pair in front of him.

Sam didn't know what to say, the Dean he knew was all about shooting first and asking questions later when it came to hunting. Having him even consider offering Lucifer anything was out of character, especially since they had planned to hunt him down themselves before that night at the mill changed everything. Perhaps even more out of character for Dean, was the fact that he hadn't shot dead the man responsible for that night at the mill. When they stood face to face with that hunter at the gas station only hours ago, Sam thought for sure that man wasn't going to be walking away with his life. After what he had done to both of them, Sam knew that man was dead; that is until Castiel stepped in and somehow managed to disarm his older brother with nothing more than a few simple words.

"I know how it sounds..." Dean started, his stern tone voice taking control of the conversation. "But the only reason we're all still here right now, is because Lucifer warned me that Castiel was in Zachariah hands." He paused for only a moment as his mind raced back to the night Castiel had lost his wings, the night that could have seen the world come to an end had the Devil kept to himself. "He's not like the other ones and for helping us out, he at least deserves better than what Zachariah got."

"Are you serious?" Chuck asked, leaning forward to rest his arms on the cluttered table between them. "You really want to make him an offer after everything he's done to..."

"See that's the thing." Dean cut in, instantly silencing the prophet. "Lucifer hasn't actually done anything to us... Azazel is the one that gave Sam the demon blood and killed our mother, Alastair is the one that tortured me in Hell until I broke the first seal, Ruby's the one that fueled Sam's fire and Lilith is the one that broke all the seals in between... They might have all been working with one goal in mid but if you think about it, Lucifer really didn't have anything to do with any of it."

Chuck's gaze drifted over to Castiel as he reached out to grab a paper on the table in front of him. It was his latest prophecy and though there really wasn't much to it, the simple fact that Sam was now back in the picture gave him some hope that they did stand a chance. "I haven't seen ANYTHING past the moment where your time runs out and we face Lucifer tonight... absolutely nothing. " He started, placing the sheet of paper on the table in front of the angel. "Cas, are you sure this is really something you want to do instead of just killing Lucifer, like you did Zachariah?"

There was a moment of silence and the angel simply gave him a nod. "I will do, whatever Dean thinks is best." He replied, his eyes drifting over to meet Dean's gaze. "He is the one leading this army."

"Guys, Lucifer isn't going to win tonight." Dean calmly explained, his words offering some reassurance as time continued to slip away. "We're just going to let him choose his demise."

"Yeah, well it ain't going down in my house that's for sure." Bobby muttered under his breath as he leaned forward to close one of the many books that were open on the table in front of him.

"Of course not." Castiel quietly replied. "We will wait on him out back."

"In the scrap yard?" Bobby started, setting the book aside and reaching out for another one. "How romantic, guys..."

"Ok, so what exactly do I have to do?" Sam asked, catching the eyes of the angel sitting to his brother's right.

"You, just have to say yes." Castiel simply replied. "Sam, to face Lucifer tonight, can I take you as my vessel?"

Sam raised an eyebrow as Chuck tried hard not to laugh. "Yes, you can."

Castiel gave him a nod. "When we are ready, I will take control of your body and we will face him as one."

Dean couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he caught his younger brother's eyes. "When you let him in, you'd better hang on, cause he's gonna take your ass for one hell of a ride..."


	23. Hope you are quite prepared to die

Bobby shoved his hands into his pockets as he glanced around his cluttered scrap yard. The atmosphere was almost eerie as they stood around waiting for their time to run out, the full moon high above reflecting on pieces of twisted metal that had yet to rust. "You know, for an army of angels they don't really make their presence known..." Bobby started, turning slightly to face Castiel who was busy starring out into the mechanical graveyard.

"Just because you don't see them, it doesn't mean that they aren't here." Castiel replied, looking over to catch the veteran hunter's eyes. "Trust me, they're all here and they're all lying in wait."

Chuck couldn't help but take a deep breath as he passed a hand through his hair, nervously looking around at the piles of stacked, scrap cars that surrounded them. "Are you guys sure about this?" He asked again, his eyes locking on Dean and Castiel.

"Yes." The two chorused.

Dean glanced down at his watch before looking over to catch Castiel's eyes. "Go time." He said simply, his voice getting the attention of his little brother nearby. "Sammy, it's your time to shine..."

"I'm ready." Sam replied, catching his older brother's eyes as the renegade angel made his way over. When Castiel reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, he took a deep breath and the angel took control.

Dean leaned back against an old car as he watched _Sam_ turn to face him. "How does that one fit, Cas?" He asked, a grin to the corner of his lips as he watched the renegade angel study his new form.

"Not too bad." The angel replied as he flexed his muscles. "Sam could really kick your ass though..." When Dean gave him the finger, Bobby and Chuck couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "This thing certainly stings..." Castiel continued, lightly placing a hand over the burn he had left in Sam's flesh when he had pulled the other man from Hell. "I didn't realize how much it could hurt."

"Sammy's tough, he'll get over it." Dean quietly replied, pulling a silver blade from the side of his belt. "I did."

Castiel gave him a nod as he reached for his own silver dagger, his mind racing as he tried to keep Sam's thoughts to himself. Having now been a part of both brothers, the differences between them were quite clear. While both were more than willing to hunt anything and everything they could if it meant saving a life, Sam's heart was no longer into it. In fact, Castiel wasn't quite sure if his heart had ever been into it at all. Maybe it was life on the road that had dragged him down, or maybe it was having to live in the shadow of someone else; never really being able to cut his own path and be himself. Whatever the true reason, Sam was going under and every hunt was just a painful reminder of how far he was from where he wanted to be. Though he was good at what he did, his life as a hunter was a lie; nothing more than a shallow and desperate attempt to make his brother proud and be the man his father would have wanted him to be. What was in Dean's blood, wasn't in Sam's and Castiel could only wonder if their father had ever noticed... Dean certainly had.

"You're thinking again." Dean started, pulling the renegade angel's thoughts away from Sam's inner turmoil. "I can tell because when you're thinking about something, you sort of zone out altogether." He paused for only a moment as Castiel looked over to catch his eyes. "I'm use to you doing it, but it just looks funny to see Sam starring out like that..." There was a moment of silence and as Castiel looked away, Dean couldn't help but feel his breath catch in the back of his throat. "Is everything alright, Cas?" He asked, sure he had seen a glimmer of anguish through the angel's borrowed eyes.

"Everything's fine." Castiel simply replied, turning his attention back to the graveyard of cars in front of him. Even if it wasn't his place to divulge Sam's little secret, he knew it would have to be done... but now certainly wasn't the time to bring up the situation with Dean.

"What were you thinking about?" Chuck quietly asked, truly praying that it had absolutely nothing to do with what was about to go down in a matter of only minutes.

"It's nothing..." Castiel answered without looking over.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of night between them. Standing among the scrap cars and the promise of a waiting army, they silently shared a fear none of them wanted to speak of. What if Castiel's plan to use Sam as a vessel wasn't enough to stop Lucifer? What if Dean's army of renegade angels weren't prepared for the war that was to be fought should all the demons rise? What if tonight really was the end of it all?

Dean took a deep breath of the cool, crisp air as he watched the hands on his watch count down their last remaining seconds. Each strike, however so small, hit like a hammer deep inside. "Maybe he's not going to show..." He started, doing his best to fill the uncomfortable void as he pushed himself away from the car he had been leaning against.

"I wouldn't count on that." Chuck replied, sucking in a shallow breath.

"Neither would I..." All turned on the spot as Lucifer casually walked out from between the rows of rusted, wrecked cars. "Hello, Dean." He started simply, glancing around the scrap yard as he made his way over towards the other man. "All this for me? You really shouldn't have..." He paused in his steps as his gaze drifted over to the man standing closely at Dean's side. Eying Sam carefully, he took notice of the long silver dagger tucked in his tight, white knuckled grip. "Castiel, you look rather, stunning this evening... Must have gone through a lot of trouble to raise Sam without Heaven's army."

"They're not Heaven's army anymore." Castiel growled, his grip on the dagger holding firm as Lucifer took a step towards Bobby and Chuck. "They're humanity's army now."

"Of course they are." Lucifer replied, a cryptic smile to the corner of his lips. "Brother I'm impressed, you stood up for what you thought was right and as a result you started a revolution... When I tired to do just that, I was cast into Hell."

"Yeah well maybe you went about it the wrong way." Dean hissed, pausing for a moment as Lucifer glanced over to catch his eyes. "Ever thought about that?" He asked with a shrug. "Takes alot more than just a new idea to convince others that they should ditch all they know and follow you around."

There was a moment of silence as Lucifer shook his head. "Granted, I may not have had what it takes." He started, offering the other man a sly smile. "But you on the other hand, I mean, you have an army of angels at your beck & call... That alone says a lot about you as a leader, Dean."

"Being honest usually helps too." Castiel smugly replied, standing his ground as Lucifer took another step forward.

"Alright, listen up." Dean interrupted, getting the Devil's attention away from the renegade angel at his side. "I'm going to make this short and sweet, we have an offer for you." There was a moment of silence as he patiently waited for Lucifer to catch his eyes. "You can do either one of two things; you can go back to Hell and be bound there for eternity, or you can die right here, tonight... It's your choice."

Lucifer crossed his arms in front of his chest as his eyes drifted from Dean back to the angel at his side. "I should have known you had something up your sleeve." He quietly started, now realizing why Castiel had gone to great lengths to raise Sam from Hell. There was a moment of silence and he couldn't help but shake his head as his gaze settled on the man that now held a Celestial army in the palm of his hand. "Zachariah was wrong about you being the one to bring me down..."

"Yeah, I realized that too." Castiel was quick to reply, his hand still clutching his one and only weapon.

"After everything I've done for you." Lucifer quietly started, his words taking on a different tone as his calloused expression suddenly softened. "I gave you the time you so desperately needed, I gave you..."

"You should be grateful that we're giving you an option." Dean cut in, his tone of voice as chilling as the late October wind. "You bought yourself more time, but the deal's up... so, what'll it be?"

"I say we make another deal." Lucifer replied, taking a moment to glance around the darken scrap yard he knew was crawling with angels. "You let me walk away tonight and all of you will never have to deal with me again. As a show of good faith, I'll even put your little family on my hands off list..."

"Sorry, but we can't let you walk away." Dean was quick to reply. "This all ends tonight, right here... Right now."

"You think so?" Lucifer asked, his eyes drifting over to the prophet nearby for only a moment.

"Oh, I know so." Dean answered, his words coming out as a threat. "Because we are going to do whatever it takes to make sure that it does."

There was a moment of silence as Lucifer eyed Castiel carefully, knowing that the angel's plan and choice of vessel had been very well thought out. Standing there in front of him was one of his own; a man given demon blood as a child for the sole propose of one day killing his very first creation and breaking the last seal that had kept him bound to Hell. Standing there in front of him, was someone strong enough to kill him and what better vessel for an angel to take than that of a skilled hunter.

"I know that you wont dare lay a hand on me." Castiel quietly started, breaking the night's dead silence. "Because Sam here, is part of your little family and they're all you've got." He paused for only a moment as Lucifer's eyes fell to the ground at his feet. "You're not like the other angels, I understand that, but we can't let you walk away tonight and we can't let you raise your demons." He continued, his soft voice showing the empathy he had perfected throughout the years. "You love them so much, that you have little to no control over them and they know it." He paused again as Lucifer's eyes drifted back up to meet his gaze. "If you raise your demons, no matter how good your intentions, they're going to walk all over you and destroy mankind in the process..."

Lucifer offered Castiel a solemn nod as he took a deep breath and considered his bleak options. "Even if you cast me back into Hell, demons will continue to rise as they please, as they have done for many years ."

"We can handle those." Dean replied with authority. "Small numbers compared to the throngs you'd bring."

"Then I guess it's settled." Lucifer quietly started, his hands dropping to his sides. "I'll be the first to admit that compassion is a weakness."

"So you choose Hell over death?" Castiel asked, relieved to see that his plan was working.

"Yes" Lucifer simply replied.

"So it shall be done." Castiel stated. "New seals will be set, the first being the one that sends you back to perdition."

"Wait, before I go, I have something for you." Lucifer quietly started, catching the renegade angel's eyes. He put a hand out towards Castiel but paused as the other angel pulled away, his grip on the silver dagger instantly tightening. "Don't fear me, I have no reason to harm you." He reassured as he slowly reached out to place both hands on Castiel's shoulders, well aware that Dean and his army were carefully watching his every move.

Castiel closed his eyes for a moment, his breath catching in the back of his throat as he felt the searing pain and scorching heat burn at his backside. He swallowed hard, his free hand clenching into a tight fist as his mind started to race; the heat on his back reminding him of his charge into Hell to retrieve Dean and then Sam.

"They're not as, pristine or glamorous as the ones our Father gave you..." Lucifer quietly started, pulling his hands away. "But no angel should be forced to live without them and it's the best I can do." A slight smile caught the corner of his lips as he watched Castiel open his eyes and carefully pass a hand over the back of his shoulder, obviously at a loss of words. "You're welcome." The Devil said simply.

When Castiel flexed and a set of dark; shredded cloth-like wings spread out from behind Sam's shoulders, Dean couldn't help but take a step back, swearing under his breath as he did so. Unlike the flawless feathery shadow he had seen the very first time he had met the angel, Castiel's new wings; though tattered and torn, were not only impressive, but breathtaking in the moonlight. Far better suited for the renegade angel's new take on life and the role he had played, to save it.

"Zachariah had no right to take such a thing from you." Lucifer started, breaking the moment of silence as Castiel's new set of wings retracted back to his shoulders. "I'm ready." He announced, taking a last breath of the cool night air as he rolled up his sleeve and offered his arm to the angel in front of him.

"Thank you..." Castiel managed, his words barely coming together as he thought of the gesture that had taken him aback. "The blood of a selfless man; raised from Hell to lead a Celestial army shall be the first seal to bind you." He said as he put a hand out to the man at his side, the one that had broken the very first seal and had started it all. Dean didn't hesitate to pull up his own sleeve as Castiel turned to him with his dagger in hand. When the angel dragged the sharp blade across his flesh, he couldn't help but suck in a breath.

All watched as Castiel carefully rolled the tip of the dagger in Dean's blood before turning to face Lucifer; taking his arm palm up in one hand, as he used the blood drenched dagger to carve a devil's trap into the under side of his wrist, with the other. "Be this the first seal that binds you to Hell." He explicitly stated, his voice low but stern. With those words said, he reached out to place a hand on Lucifer's chest. When a bright light suddenly pierced the darkness of night; Dean, Bobby and Chuck were forced to look away. In a matter of only seconds, the intense light had dissipated and when they opened their eyes, Castiel was left standing there alone. Lucifer was gone, leaving nothing more then scorched soil were he had been standing only moments ago.


	24. All my dues, surely must be paid

Sam gasped for breath as he felt the angel that had taken over his body, take a step back, bringing with him the air from his lungs. Though he had been possessed by a demon before, it was nothing compared to sitting shotgun with an angel. He put a hand to his chest as he turned on the spot, trying to keep his focus and handle on what had just happened out in the scrap yard. Tonight, a renegade angel lead by his brother and backed by an army had cast Lucifer into Hell... tonight, they had saved mankind from untold horror.

"Pretty intense, huh?" Dean asked, snapping his younger brother out of his daze.

"It was almost, surreal." Sam replied with a smile as he joined the small group. "I knew what was happening, I could see it and feel it, but it was almost as if I wasn't actually there."

"I can't believe you did it." Chuck started, passing a hand through his tousled hair as he watched Castiel make his way over to Dean. "I can't believe using Sam as a vessel actually worked..."

"I didn't doubt you for a moment, Cas." Dean started, wincing slightly as the angel wrapped a piece of cloth around his arm to stop the bleeding. "I can't believe Lucifer actually gave you a set of wings. I think they look better on you than the other ones ever did." He continued, taking a glance at the scrap yard for any sign of his renegade army, there was none. With chaos averted, they had moved on until they were needed again and though the night was still dark, it didn't seem quite as eerie.

"It's unfortunate that he was misunderstood." Castiel quietly started, tying off a knot to keep the temporary bandage in place. "But it had to be done and he knew we would stop at nothing."

"So Cas, where do we go from here?" Dean asked with a renewed sense of hope. Now that it was all over and done, he couldn't help but take a sigh of relief, the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders. "Can Sammy and I go back to the simple hunting days?"

"You can if you wish." Castiel simply replied, his mind still racing with Sam's thoughts about his life as a hunter.

"The two of you might have to fight over shotgun though." Dean said with a chuckle as he gave his little brother a wink. "Because no one takes the front middle seat in my baby."

Bobby shook his head as he let out a laugh, the first real laugh in years. "Alright boys, I say this calls for a beer." He started as he reached over to slap the angel on the back. "Tonight, we celebrate."

"First we need to draft new seals, write them out as soon as possible to ensure Lucifer stays put." Castiel informed, turning his attention to the prophet nearby. "Once written, they will again be like the locks on a door that keep him imprisoned."

"Yeah, well lets make these seals twice as hard to break." Dean said as they started to make their way through the scrap yard back towards Bobby's house. "I don't want to do this all over again any time soon."

"You and I both." Castiel quietly replied, closing his leather jacket against the cold breeze. A smile caught the corner of his lips as he watched the two brothers walk together, busy catching up on the years they had lost. Though troubled at times, the two really did make a great team, anyone could see that. When Sam's thoughts once again started to drift through his mind, his smile instantly faded. "Sam, can I have a word with you?" He asked, pausing in his steps as he watched the small group turn to face him.

"Yeah, sure." The other man replied as he caught the angel's eyes.

"You guys go on, we'll be right in." Castiel continued.

"What's up, Cas?" Sam quietly asked, watching as Dean, Bobby and Chuck started heading back towards the house. "Is there something wrong?"

"You need to let your brother know how you feel about hunting." Castiel started, getting straight to the point. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Sam." There was a moment of silence as Sam took a deep breath, his eyes falling to the ground at his feet. "Just because it's expected of you, it doesn't mean you're obligated."

"Cas, I don't know what to say to Dean." He started, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "You heard how excited he was about hunting with me again... hunting's our life." He paused for a moment as he thought of his past and just how much Dean had looked out for him throughout the years. "When I left for school, it tore him apart... he took it as if I was turning my back on him. I can't imagine what he would think if I just walked away from it now, after all we've been through."

"Things have changed." Castiel quietly started watching as the other man's eyes drifted up to meet his gaze. "Dean's stronger now than he was back then, you don't talk about it, but he knows that you don't want to hunt and he would understand if you chose to put it behind you."

"How long has he known?" Sam asked with curiosity.

"He's known for years but he's been waiting for you to bring it up because he doesn't know what to say." There was a moment of silence and the angel couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling a little guilty about having seen all of Sam and Dean's secrets when he had taken them as his vessels. "Sam, you don't have to keep an eye on him like you used to; to make him feel loved and needed. There's no longer something missing in his life."

Sam gave him a nod, a smile creeping up from the corner of his lips as he thought of just how Dean had changed since his death five years ago to the day. "He's got you at his side now." Sam started, catching the angel's piercing blue eyes. "You, Michelle, Samantha..."

"We're not replacements." Castiel interrupted, his words cutting into the other man's sentence. "No one will ever be able to take your place, you're his brother and the two of you have been through more together in past twenty some years, than most siblings have in a lifetime."

"I know that." Sam replied as they started to make his was back towards Bobby's house. "I'm just saying, now that he's got you watching his back and Michelle & Samantha to keep his head on straight, he wont miss not having me around."

"This is your chance to get the life you wanted." Castiel replied, tucking his hands into the pocket of his jeans. "Talk to him, you might be surprised."

* * *

Bobby, Dean and Chuck turned on the spot as the back door opened and Castiel & Sam wandered in. "There you two are, come on over here and grab a drink." Bobby said as he pointed the pair to the table in the middle of his living room. "C'mon boys, gather 'round." He continued as he held up his beer. "Here's to the crazy son of a bitch that risked everything, to save us all."

"Which one?" Chuck asked with a grin as he reached out to tap Bobby's beer with the neck of his bottle. "Dean or Castiel?"

Bobby couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he turned to the hunter and angel to his right. "Both." He replied, reaching out for a toast. "Cheers boys! Because of you, we all get to enjoy life just a little while longer."

"Yeah, that's always a good thing." Dean said as he took a sip of his beer.

"Here's to Sam." Castiel started with a smile as he turned to the younger man. "Wouldn't have been able to do it without you, kid."

Sam couldn't help but smile as he reached out to clank his beer bottle with the rogue angel that had pulled him from Hell. "Same goes for you." He said quietly, truly enjoying the moment as he watched the people he loved celebrate their greatest victory. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"Neither would I." Dean added, he too reaching out to clank his bottle with Castiel's.

"Alright guys, let's get down to business and get this done." Chuck announced as he pulled up a chair and took a seat at the table, pencil in hand. "We need some new seals that'll keep Lucifer locked away for good."

"Better make sure they're harder to crack than the last ones." Bobby said with a wink in Sam and Dean's direction as he took a seat across from Chuck and set his beer down on the table in front of him. "So I guess this is more or less the last chapter to your story, isn't it?" He asked as he caught the prophets eyes.

"It could be." Chuck replied, looking over towards the veteran hunter for only a moment before turning his attention back to the sheet of paper in front of him, and to the very first seal Castiel had set to send Lucifer back into Hell. "After we write out these seals and what's happened tonight, I guess we're going to have to wait and see what happens next."

"Well, while you're writing out the past twenty-four hours, make sure it looks good." Bobby said with a smile as he took another sip of his beer. "You know, embellish if you have to."

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Castiel replied as he pulled out a chair and took a seat at Chuck's side. "Tonight was pretty intense as is."

"Yeah, I'll say." Dean said quietly, thinking of the past twenty-four hours and how they had gone from having no plan or hope at all, to casting Lucifer back into Hell. "I can't wait to go back to the simple stuff..."

There was a moment of silence and Sam couldn't help but take it to his advantage as he watched Castiel give him a subtle nod. "Dean, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" He started softly, his voice pulling his brother's attention away from the men at the table in front of them.

"Yeah, sure Sammy." Dean replied with a smile as he turned to face the younger man.

Bobby watched as the Winchester brothers headed down the hall towards the back of the house, beers still in hand. When he heard the porch door slam shut, he looked over to the angel at Chuck's side. "Something wrong?" He quietly asked as he motioned towards the back door.

Castiel shook his head as he used a finger to wipe the condensation from the side of his beer bottle. "No, just time for them to have the talk they've been putting off for so long..." He replied simply.

* * *

The moment they stepped out onto Bobby's back porch, Dean knew that something was ready to surface. Though he was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that there was now a nine year gap between them, he couldn't imagine the trouble his younger brother was having trying to adjust to the five years he had missed altogether. He watched as Sam passed a hand down the back of his neck, the old boards under his feet creaking as he started to pace. "What is it, Sammy?" He finally asked, easily recognizing the signs that there was something on his brother's mind; something the other man though he wouldn't agree with or approve of.

Sam stopped in his steps as he turned to face his brother. "Dean..." He started, pausing for a moment as he tired to find his words; talking to Castiel about it seemed a lot easier than talking to his own brother. "Dean, I know how much hunting means to you and I know how you want things to go back to the way they were... But I don't think I can do that."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, setting his beer down on the window sill at his side as he leaned back against the side of the house. Sam let out a sigh as he caught the other man's eyes. Though they were definitely the same green eyes, still laced with concern about his well being, something was different about them, something had changed and that's what Castiel had tried to make him understand. "I don't want to be a hunter." He started, finally letting out the words he had been keeping to himself for so long. "This life... it's what we do and I know that it's our legacy, but I can't do this anymore. I don't..."

"Sam, just because Dad was a hunter and I'm a hunter... It doesn't mean you have to be one too." Dean cut in, pausing for a moment as he watched his younger brother's eyes drift away in the moonlight. Though he was glad to have Sam back by his side, the last thing he wanted was for the other man to go on living a lie. He had known for years that his brother hated the life, but having Sam fake it for the sole purpose of showing his loyalty and support was often the only thing that kept him going. Dean couldn't help but feel guilty just thinking about it, he was the one and only reason his brother had kept hunting for so long. "Sammy, I'm sorry..." He blurted, his words obviously catching the other man by surprise.

"For what, Dean?" Sam was quick to ask, turning his attention back to the man leaning against Bobby's house.

"For not letting go of you sooner." Dean explained. "I always knew you didn't want to be a hunter, but I just couldn't let you go... Without you, I had nothing worth fighting for." There was a long pause as he swallowed the lump caught in his throat. "You tried to get out of it when you went off to school, but I pulled you back in... I was selfish and I just want you to know, that I'm sorry."

"It's all right Dean." Sam replied, letting his eyes drift away as his older brother wiped the tears that were threatening to fall. "Besides, some of the stuff you did, you couldn't have done alone."

"All I'm saying, is that you don't have to do what you don't want to anymore." Dean replied, taking a deep breath. "Mom didn't want to be a hunter like her folks were, she wanted to get married and raise a family, get a real job and have a normal life... Just like I know you do." Though hard to even consider at first, cutting Sam loose from the demanding job that had more or less robbed them of their childhood seemed to be the best thing he could possibly do for the other man. "This is your life, Sammy... What do you want to do?" He asked, finally being able to accept the fact that hunting wasn't in Sam's blood.

Sam couldn't help but take a deep breath as he leaned back against the railing behind him, he would have never imagined having this kind of conversation with his older brother, five years ago. "I want to go back to school, pick up where I left off..." He said quietly.

"Then do it, Sammy." Dean replied, offering a smile as he watched the younger man look over to catch his eyes. "Go and be the best damn lawyer you can be... Could come in handy if I ever get in trouble with the law."

Sam let out a chuckle as he watched his older brother take a sip of his beer. "Are you sure?" He asked, still in disbelief that his brother was willing to just let him go.

"Yeah I'm sure." The older man replied. "I want you to do what makes you happy."

There was a short moment of silence as Sam took a deep breath, it was almost as if the dark cloud that had hung over his head for years simply vanished. "What are you going to do?" He asked, sure he had the answer but needing to hear it anyway.

"What I'm good at." Dean replied with his trademark grin. "Cas and I are going to go out and kill as many evil sons of bitchs as we can..."

Sam let the smile creep up from the corner of his lips as he thought of Castiel and Dean hunting together, an army of angels at their beck and call. "I still can't believe that you, of all people, would end up with an angel at your side."

"Hey, he's not an angel..." Dean started, pausing for a moment as he caught his brother's eyes. "He's a renegade."

"Well whatever you want to call him, you two make a great team."

"We made a great team too, Sammy." Dean was quick to reply. "Might have hit a few rough patches along the way, but you were always right there when I needed you, I knew you had my back."

There was a moment of silence and Sam couldn't help but offer his older brother a smile as he reached out to him with his bottle of beer. "Here's to the past, Dean."

Dean returned the smile as he pushed himself off the side of Bobby's house and tapped the neck of his beer against the other bottle. "Naw, here's to a future we might actually get to enjoy, Sammy." He said, pulling his younger brother into a tight hug. "It's your life, no one else's... make it count."


	25. The Road so far: NOW

Dean let out a sigh as he took a quick glance at his watch, and then at the closed bathroom door. "Are you going to be ready today or what?" He called out, shoving a few things into his duffle bag. He took a glance around the motel room to make sure he had everything and then zipped the small bag shut. "Sammie! If you're late, you and I are both dead!" He shouted, once again glancing down to his watch as he started to pace. When the bathroom door finally opened, he stopped dead in his tracks. Though he was starring at a young woman, he couldn't help but still think of her as his little girl, her age would never change that. "Does it always take you this long to get ready?" He asked, grabbing his jacket from a chair nearby.

"Looks don't come easy, Dad." Samantha replied, putting a hand out as her father tossed her her leather jacket.

"You're beautiful just the way you are sweetheart." Dean replied with a smile.

"You're just saying that because you have to." She replied, returning the same smile as she pushed her sandy blond hair out of her piercing green eyes. She watched as he struggled to find a comeback and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I was just kidding, Dad." She said with a grin as she made her way past him in the open door.

"Are you like this with your Mother?" He asked, carrying his duffle bag and hers as they made their way down the long hall.

"She says I got it from you."

"Which part, the wisecracks or the looks?"

Samantha couldn't help but shake her head, though in and out of her life, her father had always managed to be there for her. He could have been half way across the country with her Godfather on a hunt, but wouldn't hesitate turning around and coming home to her if he knew that she needed him. He had even promised her that every third weekend was theirs, that it didn't matter where he was or what he was doing, every third weekend he would put his job aside to be with her. So far, he had managed to keep his promise and the weekends they spent together were some of the best. "So where are we meeting up with Mom, uncle Cas, uncle Chuck and Grandpa Bobby?" She asked, pausing as he pulled the Impala's door open for her to get in.

"A little restaurant in town." He replied before shutting her door. He dropped their bags into the back and then made his way over to the driver's side, pulling his door open and sliding in behind the wheel. "Is what's his name going to be there?" Dean asked, shoving the key into the ignition and bringing his classic car to life.

Samantha couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "His name is David and no, he's not going to be there. Not after what you did to him the last time..."

"What did I do to him the last time?" Dean asked innocently, catching her eyes for only a moment before he turned his attention back to the road ahead.

"Dad, going through police records and doing background checks on someone, isn't how you get to know them." The young woman explained.

"A background check is how your uncle Cas got to know your Mom..." Dean replied with a grin.

"You know that's not the same." Samantha was quick to reply. "Uncle Cas didn't go through police records." There was a moment of silence as she took a deep breath, thinking of just how different her family really was. "I think you need to lay off a little, David's just a friend of hers and he's a really nice guy."

"I'm sure he is a really nice guy... I'm just making sure he isn't a murderer or a rapist or something."

"Mom really likes spending time with him, don't ruin this for her, OK?" Samantha started, letting out a sigh as she thought of how hard it must be for her father to see her mother with someone else. It's not that he didn't love her, because it was obvious that he did, it was just that he couldn't be there for her as a husband. The excuse he had always given, was that he didn't want to leave a widow behind when his number was called; dark humor was just his way of masking a rather brash but realistic look on his life as a hunter. "By the way, what did you tell her this time?" Samantha continued. "About our weekend out?"

"That I needed to remind you that I'm the only man in your life... For now anyway." Dean started, pausing for only a moment as his eyes drifted over to the old picture of Michelle and Samantha that was wedged between the Impala's dash panel and radio. The years really did seem to fly, every time he dropped by Michelle's place in Scythe to pick up his daughter, she had grown just a bit more. Before he knew it, she had traded in her blond piggy tails for a mane of tousled loose curls, her cute little sundress's for a pair of made-to-look-worn Jeans & tank tops and her tricycle for a motocross bike she had worked and begged for. His little girl had the heart of a tomboy and she never passed up an opportunity to prove that she was just as good, if not better, than the boys she raced with.

"Dad, I'm not a kid. You don't have to lie to her about where we're going and what we're doing." Samantha said as she looked over to catch his eyes.

"Are you kidding me, Sammie?" Dean was quick to reply. "Your mom would have a fit if she knew we went to a shooting range."

"I'm going to be seventeen!" The teenager exclaimed. "She'll get over it, she got over everything else."

"Yeah, if you think you got an ear full when she found that flip blade in your room..." Dean started, pausing for a moment as he shook his head. "Baby, I swear I could still hear her for weeks."

"You're exaggerating." Samantha replied simply.

"I'm not, that's the scary part."

There was a long pause as they listened to the sound of the Impala's engine, a sound that meant so much to them for very different reasons. To Dean, the sound of his car, meant a feeling of home, something familiar in a sea of people and places that were always changing. To his daughter, it was the sound of her childhood, staying up late at night and listening for the sound of the roaring engine that would bring her father home.

"You know, she worries about you when you're out on the road." Samantha started, breaking the moment of silence between them. "When you and uncle Cas leave for weeks at a time and I don't hear from you for days..."

"She should know by now that she has nothing to worry about, I can take care of myself and I'm always there when you need me." Dean replied, glancing over to catch her eyes.

"You can take care of yourself, huh?" Samantha continued. "What about the time uncle Cas drove you home with a slash nearly an inch deep across your back and a bullet in your thigh?"

"Your uncle Cas, tends to overreact." Dean answered wryly.

"Dad, he had to drag you out of the car and into the house, you were off your feet for over a month." Samantha cut in.

"I was spending quality time with you." Dean replied with a smile. "Cas was complaining about needing some down time so I gave him a good reason to come home."

Samantha couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Always a reason, right Dad?"

"Damn right." Dean replied without looking over to catch her eyes.

* * *

Michelle glanced down at her watch as she leaned back against her car in the parking lot. "I see where she gets it from..." She muttered with a sigh, hoping the small restaurant would hold onto their reservations just a bit longer.

"Well, the good thing about it is that you know she'll eventually show up..." Castiel started, silencing when Michelle turned to catch his eyes. "Relax, they'll be here." He added, offering a smile as she turned her attention back to the parking lot's entrance and the cars on the street.

"Dean really has no idea just how much his daughter is like him." Michelle started, letting out a soft sigh as she shook her head. "Sometimes she'll just say something a certain way and I swear it's as if Dean was standing right there in her place."

There was a moment of silence between them and Castiel couldn't help but smile as he thought of what Michelle had just said. Samantha and Dean really were almost interchangeable. From her actions and views right down to the way she stood and spoke, almost everything about her was a mirrored reflection of her father, just with a bit more grace. "He worries about her alot." Castiel started softly. "He worries about you both." He paused for a moment as Michelle once again turned to catch his eyes. "You know it's true, just because it didn't work out between you, it doesn't mean that he doesn't still love you."

Michelle's eyes drifted down to the ring on her finger as she thought of all the times Dean had drifted in and out of her life. "It's hard to fall in love with someone who's not around..." She started, well aware that the hunter would never be someone's husband. "I know he's tried, but it's hard when he drops in like this... I remember why I fell in love with him in the first place, then the two of you drive off and I remember why it wouldn't have worked out."

"All he really wants, is to see you happy." Castiel informed, swallowing the lump caught in his throat. "He knew that he would never really be able to give you all that you needed... So he did the best he could, and let you go."

There was another long pause and Michelle let out a sigh as her mind drifted back to the time Dean had spent with her in Scythe; a time when he had walked away from a life that had nearly been his death. Those first few years had brought out a side that Castiel had told her he'd never seen, a side of Dean only their daughter could have given him. "At least he's always there for Samantha, you both are and that means the world to me." She finally said with a smile as her eyes lifted to catch those of the renegade angel that had been at Dean's side since the very first time they had met at the hospital. "By the way, did Samantha tell you what she wants to be when she's done high school?" Michelle asked, watching as Castiel shook his head. "She has her mind set on being a cop... my little girl, wants to be a cop!"

"Could be worse, she could be a..."

"Don't you dare even say it." Michelle was quick to interrupt, her eyes narrowing slightly as the thought crossed her mind.

Castiel cleared his throat as he adjusted his leather jacket. "Relax, she's got her father's determination and drive... She'll make a great Police Officer." He reassured, taking a quick glance at his watch. "Besides, I'll keep an eye on her."

Michelle couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you'd better." She replied, letting out a sigh as she watched the Impala finally pull into the parking lot. "There they are." She muttered half under her breath as she watched the car pull to a stop behind hers; her daughter in the passenger seat busy pointing out an old muscle car parked nearby to her father. "About time the two of you showed up." Michelle started as she watched the pair step out of the Impala.

"It's only twenty minutes mom." Samantha replied, giving her mother a smile before giving her Godfather a wink.

Dean offered a smile to Michelle and the angel at her side before taking a glance around the parking lot. "Where's everyone else?"

"They went to see if the restaurant could hold our reservations just a bit longer." Michelle replied as she tapped a finger on her watch. "You guys are late."

"Hey don't look at me." Dean was quick to reply as he pointed towards the teen. "I would have made up the lost time but I know you don't like me speeding with Sammie in the car..."

"Now there's a great excuse if I've ever heard one." Samantha replied with a chuckle.

Dean couldn't help but smile as his eyes drifted over his daughter's shoulder and focused on Sam as he stepped out of the restaurant; with him, his wife, two young sons, Bobby and Chuck. Though hunting full time with Castiel instead of Sam had been hard at first, just the sight of his younger brother happy was all it took for him to adjust to the change. They had kept in touch and were now closer than ever despite the many miles that separated them when he and Castiel were out on the road. Sam was happy, finally truly happy to have put hunting aside, gone back to school, get married and raise a family of his own with the woman of his dreams. Dean couldn't help but let out a chuckle as his younger brother let go of the child's hand and the eight year old immediately ran to him. "Hey there, tiger." He said as his youngest nephew wrapped both arms around his waist. "And hello gorgeous." He continued, pulling his sister-in-law into a hug. "Is the big shot still treating you right?" He asked as he planted a kiss on her cheek.

"You'll be the first to know if he doesn't..." Victoria replied with a chuckle as she pulled away.

"The restaurant couldn't hold our table, so we got bumped an hour." Bobby announced, watching as the Winchester boys exchanged a quick hug, Dean reaching out with one hand to tousle his older nephew's hair.

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Michelle asked, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Uncle Dean can tell us more stories!" The boys chorused, smiles crossing their faces as they both ducked from their cousin's reach.

Dean shook his head as he cleared his throat. "No, you know what your dad thinks of my stories..."

"But uncle Dean..."

"John, Anthony." Sam cut in, instantly silencing his boys. "You guys aren't old enough for your uncle Dean's stories just yet."

"Ok, well I was going to wait until after dinner but since we're all here now and we have an hour to kill." Dean started, his eyes catching those of his daughter as he put a hand out towards the angel at his side. When Castiel pulled a set of car keys from the pocket of his leather jacket and passed them over to Dean, Samantha's face lit up. "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart." He said, dangling the car keys in one hand as he leaned back against the '71 Barracuda parked behind them. "Had 'er painted Candy Red just for you."

"If you're joking, you're both dead." Samantha replied bluntly, trying to contain her excitement as her father tossed her the set of keys her Godfather had passed him only moments ago. "Oh my God!" The girl screeched, throwing her arms around both Dean and Castiel as she pulled them to her in a single hug. "Seriously? A Cuda Convertible!?"

"No joke, she's all yours." Dean replied as he reached down to open the driver's door.

"A muscle car, Dean?" Michelle started, watching as Castiel pointed out a few things to the excited teen sitting behind the wheel. "Honestly?"

"Hey, I asked you if I could get her a car.. You said yes." Dean replied, a grin to the corner of his lips as he watched Chuck, Bobby, Sam, Vicky and the boys circle his daughter's birthday present. "She's going to need a car when she goes off to school next year."

"Yeah and by car I meant something a little more reliable and safe." Michelle started, looking over as the convertible's white top started coming down, revealing its custom two tone white and red leather interior. "Something modern, practical and..."

"Boring?" Dean offered, his words cutting her short. "Relax, this car is in great shape."

"She's seventeen, Dean!" Michelle was quick to reply, looking over to catch his eyes. "How many seventeen year olds do you know with..."

"Well when I was her age, I..."

"Yeah, I suggest you not finish that sentence." Sam cut in, reaching out to put a hand on his older brother's shoulder. "For your own sake..."

"Did you steal it?" Michelle asked point blank, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Dean couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "No, I didn't steal it..." He calmly explained. "Castiel, Chuck, Bobby and I rebuilt it, salvaged her from the scrap yard." He continued, doing his best to disarm the woman standing in front of him. There was a long pause and when the engine roared to life, he turned on the spot.

"Can I go for a ride, mom?" Samantha asked as she gave her mother a smile. "Just around the block, please ?" She pleaded.

With the sound of the idling engine filling the air, Michelle's eyes drifted from her daughter to Dean and then to Castiel; both of them grinning like proud fathers. "Just around the block." She replied, watching as Castiel took a seat at her daughter's side and Bobby & Chuck climbed into the back. "Just around the block..." She reminded as Samantha revved the engine and gave her, her father's trademark smile.

"The next ride is ours, right babe?" Dean asked, pointing to his younger brother nearby.

"Yeah, of course it is!" Samantha shouted over the sound of the roaring engine. "I'll be right back!"

There was a moment of silence as the small group watched the classic car pull away and circle the Impala before heading out onto the street. "Well, we're going to go wait by the patio, because if our table is ready before you guys are, we're eating without you." Michelle said with a chuckle as she turned to Victoria and the boys.

"Alright, we'll be there in a bit." Sam replied with a smile as he watched Michelle and his wife start to make their way back to the small restaurant, his sons following closely. He let out a sigh as he leaned against the Impala parked behind him. "So, where are you and Cas headed next?" He started, catching his older brother's eyes. Though Dean would never admit it, choosing to hunt with the renegade angel was one of the best things he could have ever done. With Castiel there to keep him grounded and focused, Dean didn't seem quite as reckless as he used to... with Castiel there instead of him, his older brother didn't spent more time worrying about the well being and whereabouts of his partner-in-crime, than he did about his own safety or the job that needed to be done.

"Kansas." Dean replied, joining the other man by his car. "Cas picked up on a few omens he wanted to check out, thinks it has to do with some wayward demons." There was a moment of silence and Dean took a deep breath, a smile slowly creeping up from the corner of his lips as he eyed the lawyer at his side.

"What's so funny?" Sam asked, watching as his older brother passed a hand over his face.

"Nothing, I was just thinking." Dean started, pausing for only a moment as he caught the other man's eyes. "I spent half of my life pretending to be lawmen of all sorts, and you spent most of yours actually being one..."

Sam couldn't help but smile as he thought of what his older brother had just said. "Well, I spent half of my life pretending to be a hunter while you spent all of yours actually being one."

"A damn good one." Dean added with a grin.

"Yeah, that you are." Sam admitted, his eyes drifting down to the gun handle sticking out of his older brother's belt, concealed by a leather jacket he just couldn't seem to part with. Looking at Dean now was almost like looking at John; a true leader, a fearless man by experience. "You're like a legend now, you know that? " He asked, focusing on the subtle hints of gray hiding in his brother's short brown hair. "There isn't a lot of true hunters left out there and definitely none as good as you are."

"There's no need for them now, Sammy." Dean was quick to reply. "I've got an army of angels that can do a better job than any hunter I've ever met... all they need is a bit of direction."

"Dad would be proud of you." Sam started, taking a deep breath as he thought of their late father. "In fact, I think he'd actually be jealous."

Dean couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the thought of their father being jealous. "You think so?"

"Yeah actually, I do." There was a moment of silence between them as they glanced over at each other, grateful for all they had right there in front of them. "You know, considering we never had much family to start with, I think we did pretty good." Sam remarked, his eyes drifting across the lot to his wife of twelve years, their two boys and the woman who had managed to break into his older brother's calloused heart and soul; giving him the strength he needed to carry on.

"I think you're right, Sammy." Dean replied with a smile, watching as the red Barracuda pulled back into the parking lot; his daughter behind the wheel, the renegade angel he considered another brother to her right, the man that was like a father to him in the back seat and the prophet he had welcomed into the fold at Bobby's side. "We did do pretty good." He continued, thinking of the winding road that had brought him to where he was today and thankful that the night at the mill just outside of Scythe was now years and miles behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering why Lucifer survived this one, I just couldn't kill the Devil. Pre-season five he technically didn't do anything to either of the Brothers and besides, there will always be evil in the world, no matter what.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


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